Memento Mori
by Little Knight Mik
Summary: "I could die in a week, a month, a year. Maybe even tomorrow. So I figure I should at least do something I'm proud of before that happens, right?" Tomoe doesn't see much appeal in becoming a Hunter, but taking the exam may be the only thing she can do that she can be proud of in her life. [Kurapika/OC]
1. 01

**hahaa I've made a terrible decision starting a new fic, especially considering how new I am to Hunter x Hunter, but what the hey when the urge strikes.**

 **No idea when I'll update this next, to be honest. Hopefully it's okay so far with the look into my OC's life and stuff ;0; Also, if it wasn't obvious enough with the description, this'll be an eventual Kurapika/OC fic oAo**

* * *

 _To Hibiki Folkvar, Head of the Folkvar Estate,_

 _It is with a heavy heart that I write this letter to you. Were the circumstances different, perhaps the severity of this news would have been lessened._

 _Your daughter's tests have shown results similar to that of the late Kouta Folkvar. Despite all the years that have passed since he had first contracted the illness, we are unfortunately no closer to finding a way to treat it. If you allow her to continue the Folkvar traditions and training, I cannot guarantee she will make it to adulthood._

She rests her chin in her hands once she pushes the letter away, hiding it behind the pile of books at the edge of her desk. There is little point to finishing the rest of Yukari's letter. The details are the same as when her grandfather had been hit with the illness, and Hibiki suspects that the details of slowing its progression will remain the same as well.

Yukari is right, she thinks. Had something been different—had Tomoe been older—then this wouldn't hurt as much. Tomoe wouldn't be left behind while her younger siblings grew up, and the family wouldn't be sorely reminded with each passing day after that even a child is beyond saving from the illness.

The grandfather clock chimes twelve times behind her, signalling the middle of the day. Hibiki sighs deeply. She's had the letter sitting on her desk since dawn, having received it at some time during the night in their letter box, but she couldn't bring herself to open it until now. She'd known the odds of getting good news were against her favour. Hibiki leans back in her chair and looks out the window to her right, catching a glimpse of the sun shining high in the sky before a large cloud passes over it.

Kouta, her grandfather, had been the first person that the family's doctors had encountered with the sickness—and, fittingly, they'd named it after him once he passed. He'd looked as though nothing were wrong with him as the days wore on. Hibiki can remember the only change in his appearance being the increasing lack of colour to his skin each time she conversed with him, but according to Yukari a lot more had been going on with the man. She'd never noticed it at the time—too young and naive, she'd been—but now she knows exactly what's coming for her daughter.

A deathlike pallor, a searing pain in her chest, and blackouts that could last for days. If Tomoe isn't careful, she could end up with much, much worse on top of them.

She'll have to have the others checked for Folkvar Disease. Now that there's a chance that it's hereditary, she can't risk the rest of her children going through the family's training for nothing. If all they'll have is five years _at best_ , then they're better off resting until their time has come.

"Airi," she calls out. The butler standing by the grandfather clock clears her throat.

"Yes, Madam Folkvar?"

"Tell the chefs to prepare Tomoe's favourite meal tonight. Make sure that they cook enough for everyone, the rest of the staff included, to have a plate."

Airi makes a short sound of confusion, but doesn't comment on the command. Hibiki listens as she bows and says, "Right away, Madam Folkvar," before she exits the study with quick strides.

The door shuts softly behind Airi. Not even a second Later, Hibiki smothers her face with her hands as a choked sob crawls out of her throat. Barely even thirteen, so full of excitement and hope for the opportunity to join the family business; to suddenly have it brought to a stop just as she starts to show promise? Hibiki can't think of a worse fate to be dealt.

Tomoe's training is to end after dinner, she decides. If rest is what will keep her alive longer, then rest is what she must do—even if Tomoe may come to hate her mother for forcing this decision onto her.

* * *

 _To the Captain of the Kaijinmaru,_

 _You may not remember me from one of the previous Hunter Examinations, and it's because of this that I worry my message may be ignored or disregarded as asking for favouritism. My name is Masao Folkvar, an applicant from the 275th Hunter Examination, and it was your ship that took me to my destination. I was applicant #298 and I made it as far as the Fourth Phase of the examination before withdrawing due to a self-assessment of my own abilities, as per the tradition of the Folkvar family._

 _I write this letter to you with the hope that my sister, who wishes to partake in the examination, will be given a safe journey to the exam's location. Even if she is not seen as worthy to continue on to the exam itself, it would be an immense relief to both myself and our family if she just reaches the destination safely._

 _Her name is Tomoe, and she is the second daughter of the current generation of Folkvar children. If everything goes according to plan, you'll have seen her once she boarded the ship: Curly red hair, pale as a ghost, face covered in freckles. She's hard to miss. Tomoe will either have given this to you herself or given it to a crewmember. Or, if I'm unlucky, she'll have decided to read the letter herself and then throw it overboard in a fit of anger. If that's the case, then I'm sorry, Tomo; I know you want to do this alone, but you have to understand that we're all worried and a little more resistant to this decision than you are._

 _Captain, as her elder brother I have only one wish to ask of you. Make sure her trip is memorable, and don't let her regret the decision to leave the safety of home during her time of need. Don't treat her as an invalid if she tells you her reasoning for wanting the take the Hunter Examination._

 _Give her something to be proud of._

 _Signed,  
Masao Folkvar, First Son of the Folkvar Estate_

He seals the envelope and writes the Captain's name on the front. He's careful to make sure not to leave a mess behind him as he picks up the oil lamp and pockets the envelope—he absolutely hates it when his desk is a mess, and the urgency of the situation is no exception. The door to his room closes silently, barely even heard by his own ears, and then it's a few quick steps down the hall until he reaches Tomoe's room. He knocks once, softly, and waits for her to answer.

Masao may be disowned for doing this, but he feels responsible as one of the older siblings to grant Tomoe this one wish. She's done nothing but sit around for the past five years, wasting away while her siblings continued to learn the ins and outs of family business. He knows how much she hated it, and he figures now is a better time than later to let her spoil herself for once.

The door opens enough to allow a small crack to peek through, and he sees a wide, amber eye boring into him before recognition sets in. Tomoe pulls the door open further, allowing Masao to see his sister fully. He'd allowed her some time to get dressed and pack a small bag while he wrote the letter, but he can see that he should have told her what was best to wear during the examination. He's more than certain she won't get far with her yellow sweater vest and pleated black skirt, even if she wears her tights and sneakers for the sake of mobility and modesty. The white dress shirt underneath the sweater vest has a long black ribbon tied in a bow under the collar; Masao has no doubt that she'll use that ribbon to tie her hair back later instead of finding something now.

A small knapsack is slung over one shoulder, her hand dangling lazily from the strap as she beams up at Masao. "I'm really going?" she whispers excitedly.

Masao nods. He glances up and down the hall for any sign of the staff making rounds. No one seems to be approaching, and he holds out his hand for Tomoe to take. Her own cold digits wrap around his hand, and the contrasting tones of their skin serve as a stark reminder just how little time Tomoe has left regardless of how much she rests now. Compared to the sun-kissed tan of his own skin, Tomoe's has slowly receded into a sickly pale white. Every morning she'd be asked if she were alright to practice playing her violin, and she'd always laugh it off and say, "It just looks worse than it is."

He pulls her from her room as he shakes the thought from his mind, leading her towards the front of the estate with quiet footsteps. Masao can hardly hear her aside from the silent giggling she makes every time they pass one of their siblings' bedrooms. It's almost too easy to sneak her out as they pass painting after painting, room after room, until finally they make it to the foyer. Masao carefully guides Tomoe down the stairs, the light of the moon barely reaching the middle of the floor ahead of them.

The large, front door shuts behind them as he ushers her outside. Not a single light in the estate flickers on in alarm. In the hopes of saving her energy, Masao scoops his sister up into his arms and jogs in the direction of the stables.

Their family always made a point to practice the finer things in life alongside using themselves as an individual's shield—horse riding, dancing, learning instruments. Tomoe used to do all of it with her siblings, having the most energy out of everyone. In recent years, though, the task of caring for her horse has fallen to Ayaka, their eldest sister; dancing was something their mother had forbidden, lest Tomoe harm herself or push herself too far; and even now, practicing the violin, Masao has noticed that she's slowly losing her passion for it as well.

Tomoe's horse is at the far end of the stable, hidden away behind the other horses. It's not very often that they take the horses with them on jobs, but owning them and riding them has been helpful in their training over the years. Masao finds that it makes things somewhat easier on him when it comes to quick getaways.

A small squeal escapes Tomoe's throat, eliciting a quiet nicker from a brown horse to their right. "Are we taking Trouble?" she asks all at once. Masao looks over at his own horse, watching them from its spot to their left. Aurelius is one of the more tamed horses in their possession as well as the horse Masao knows will get them to the docks before it's too late to turn back around.

Trouble, on the other hand, is just as wild as Tomoe used to be. There's a good reason as to why it got the name it did. "Do you want to?" he replies.

Tomoe nods ecstatically, her crimson curls flying up and down around her shoulders. "It'll be the last time I get to ride him—for real," she says. With a sheepish laugh, she adds, "I never did like Aurelius much, either."

Aurelius snorts loudly. Tomoe snorts back at it.

He nods in understanding. Of course she'd want to go to the dock on her own horse. It's been a good few years since she even spent quality time with Trouble, and Masao knows just as well as Tomoe that she won't come home after she leaves.

"I'll get Trouble ready, then," he says dutifully. "Make sure to check your back for everything you need."

Tomoe shrugs nonchalantly. Her expression is that of someone who has little care for what they pack, prompting Masao to wonder just how terribly she prepared herself for the Hunter Examination. "Tomo," he adds with a stern tone, "what did you pack?"

In a single movement she drops the knapsack in front of her, and then she's undoing the clasp as she reports, "I think just my violin and a bottle of water. They give out food there, right? Or was I supposed to grab some?" She reaches into the knapsack and pulls out a small piece of fabric, a surprised expression on her face as she adds gleefully, "Oh, and a hanky!"

"You're dense," Masao growls. He storms over towards the tack room, just across from Trouble's stall, and moves about quickly in search of the basic equipment needed to ride Trouble to the docks. He brings out the equipment one piece at a time, cautiously putting it on Trouble each time he enters the stall while Tomoe plays with the horse's hair.

"I don't see the need to bring a lot," Tomoe says as Masao fastens the saddle. "It'd be better if mother had something to remember me by while I'm gone. You know I won't bother writing or coming home in the middle of everything. Plus, you and Ayaka did fine with only a few things."

He sighs deeply and moves back into the tack room for Trouble's bridle. "Ayaka and I took things to keep us safe," he corrects her. "Just because we didn't take much doesn't mean we didn't take anything _important_."

Tomoe pouts at him childishly. It's almost unbelievable that she's seventeen when she acts like this.

"I'm not dense," she mumbles. "I'm just not very worried about it all."

He pauses midway through checking the saddle's strap again, her statement striking a nerve within him. After the first year of being confined to her room and forbidden from training further, Tomoe had eventually announced that she'd come to terms with her fate—she wouldn't get to see Kayo and Takeo grow up, and she wouldn't get to see Masao and Ayaka start their own families. He's not sure if everyone else has noticed it in recent years or not, considering that Masao has been the only one to visit her room daily and talk with her, but there's been a distinct lack of care whenever Tomoe thinks about herself.

She's not worried because she doesn't care what happens to her. She just wants to get out and do something for herself. Tomoe had even confessed it after her most recent birthday, telling him, "I'm not living. I'm just existing." This just worries him more when he thinks about the things she's packed and the nonchalant attitude she shows. It's like Tomoe doesn't even _want_ to believe that she has a chance to come home before her time comes.

He doesn't reply to her, instead making sure that everything is properly secured. Trouble is ready to be ridden and Tomoe's knapsack is fasted once more. He leads the two out of the stall and towards the stable doors, but before he leads Trouble out he helps Tomoe up into the saddle. Masao's heart almost sinks at how easy it is to lift her up, uncertain if he's grown stronger or if Tomoe's become lighter and frailer. Tomoe clings to Trouble with a large, toothy smile on her face; he's almost surprised she isn't shaking with excitement as he leads Trouble outside.

Masao sits himself in front of Tomoe on the saddle and refuses to urge Trouble forward until Tomoe gets a safe grip on the older boy. He's going to be riding the horse as fast as he can, and he doesn't want his sister to fall off and break a bone or worse before she even makes it to the docks. Tomoe wiggles impatiently, hissing to Masao that someone might wake up and see them through the window, and he finally directs the brown and white horse towards the gates at the front of the estate.

The light of the sun is peeking out over the horizon, signalling that dawn is on its way. Masao clicks his tongue as Trouble trots out of the front yard and onto the dirt track leading to the town. They've always lived a small distance away from everyone else, keeping to themselves in order to focus on important matters regarding their work. The trip should take ten minutes at most, he thinks. It all depends on how cooperative Trouble wants to be.

Masao decides to test the waters and try to urge the horse into a canter, silently praying that it won't try to shake them off. Trouble's pace slowly picks up, and then they're moving quicker down the dirt track and into the trees lining the road. The estate fades from view, and then Masao and Tomoe are letting out relieved breaths.

They have little trouble getting to the docks, avoiding every obstacle Masao had worried about as he'd plotted to take Tomoe and let her have her chance at the exam. No one has noticed them missing yet, and Trouble takes them through the trees and eventually the town itself without much resistance. Tomoe laughs triumphantly as they pass stores and people watching the sunrise; it's been a while since Masao's heard a sound like that come from his sister.

The Kaijinmaru is easy to recognise for Masao. The ship is docked near another one that's unloading various fruits in crates, the captain wandering along the deck as he inspects his crew's work. They still haven't left yet, he thinks happily. Tomoe still has time.

He brings Trouble to a halt a short distance away from most of the commotion, a few workers and sailors turning to see what's happening as Trouble lets out a short squeal. Masao flushes with embarrassment and does his best to silence the horse, rubbing its neck reassuringly. He can hear Tomoe spluttering loudly behind him, unaware of the attention they've garnered.

"I should've tied by hair back," she whines, swiping desperately at her face. He imagines that her curls have flown about during the ride, and have finally settled all over her face now that they're no longer moving.

Masao nudges back at her with his elbow, letting her know that they're at the ship she needs, and quickly dismounts in order to help her off. Tomoe refuses his help with a stubborn upturn of her nose, leaving him to keep Trouble steady as she dismounts on her own.

The people around them stop paying attention soon after, bored now that the horse is quiet again. Masao exhales shortly as he reaches into his pocket for the letter.

"The ship you want to get on is the one in front of us," he tells her. She glances over her shoulder and nods as she takes it in. "Now, I want you to listen carefully, Tomo. You need to give this letter to the captain, or at least have someone deliver it to him if you can't find him." He holds up the envelope and waves it in her face. Tomoe snatches it from him with a frown.

"I'll deliver it," she sighs. "Anything else? Or can I go now?"

Masao frowns back at her. He hadn't planned on giving her much to take with her, but he figures he may as well try to give her a parting gift. He reaches into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulls out the two small objects stored inside—his switchblade and his fob watch. The watch has long since stopped telling the correct time, but the inside holds a photo he considers to be precious—the last time Tomoe had looked genuine happy when with the whole family, posing in a family portrait and free of worries.

He takes one of her hands and places them on her open palm, pushing her fingers over them and letting his grip linger as he says, "Keep these with you. You don't have to use them for anything—but just take them so you don't forget us."

A pained look flits over Tomoe's face before she covers it up with a playful grin. She snorts out a short laugh. "I should say the same to you," she tells him. "Just because I'm not home to annoy everyone doesn't mean you can relax."

What a typical response of hers, he thinks. He lets out a quiet chuckle and pats her shoulder lightly. Tomoe fixes her knapsack and nods to him in farewell. This is the last time they'll see each other, yet neither can bring themselves to say goodbye properly. Tomoe waves back at Masao meekly as she makes her way up the gangplank; Masao nods back to her as he keeps a tight grip on Trouble's reigns.

She disappears from sight altogether once she boards the ship. Masao lets out a short breath to steady himself. It's time to face their family and tell them that she's left.


	2. 02

**Oh boy, did I get stuck a lot with this chapter. Hope it came out okay and stuff!**

* * *

She didn't account for how long it would take to get to Dolle Harbour, once each stop is actually factored into the trip. Tomoe almost feels like a fool for getting so excited on that first day, expecting to arrive at the Hunter Exam site before sundown; the crew had even laughed at her when she complained about how long they were taking, alongside the small number of aspiring Hunters already aboard the ship.

The only good such a long trip will do is force her to wait longer to do something for herself. She chews her lip in distaste at the thought of sitting by idly, just _waiting_ longer than she already has.

At least the scenery is nice, she reasons with herself. With all the trees and the high, stone wall gates surrounding the estate blocking out any hints of the horizon from her bedroom window, it's a pleasant change to wake up early enough and see the sun peeking out over the ocean. Even watching the sunset had been a nice change of pace—to think her own home had deprived her of such a basic joy without her even knowing it.

All of the aspiring Hunters have found their own spots on the ship to haunt, and Tomoe is no different. She'd managed to steal another lady's spot at the stem of the ship, tucked away in the folds, and claimed it as her own for the duration of the trip. It gives her a good look at all of the people around her as she sits with her knees tucked into her chest, knapsack held safely under one arm. It's not that she doesn't trust anyone here—despite how menacing some of the passengers look, she knows that appearances can be deceiving—but more along the lines that Tomoe has never been in such a small space with so many people. The feeling is a bit overwhelming, to say the least.

It's silly. The ship is huge, and there aren't _that_ many people. Not yet, at least. But compared to the large space and minimal staff at Folkvar Estate, it feels cramped. Tomoe is almost too nervous to pull out her violin and practice to pass the time. Normally she isn't bothered by whether or not anyone would care what she does, but being laughed at yesterday and effectively torn down a peg in everyone else's eyes has left her too embarrassed to even bother humming a tune.

She wishes she'd brought a book along with her, like a few other people onboard appear to have.

Day two on the Kaijinmaru passes without much trouble, another stop made to allow more people onboard. A rather large crowd makes their way onto the ship, a stark contrast to the small number of people that arrived on yesterday's stop, and Tomoe does her best to keep herself in her corner until she gets hungry.

She practically falls asleep in the middle of the day as she waits. Her legs ache when she wakes up again, the sky a deep red and the deck almost empty of people. They must have gone below deck and turned in for the night, she thinks as she catches sight of the sun dipping into the sea.

The sound of metal being hit lightly pulls her attention to one of the few people remaining in the area. To her right are two men, one old with a large, bushy beard, and one young with a brown tattoo lining one side of his face. The older man is busily chewing on a piece of metal—money, Tomoe realises—while the younger frowns at Tomoe as though she'd done something to offend him.

"Is something wrong?" she asks. Her voice comes out a lot more demanding than she'd hoped it would, but at least it's something that won't make her look weak.

The old man pockets his money and chuckles, giving the young man a nudge with his elbow. "This youngin' here made a bet that you were dead," he laughs. Tomoe sneers at the younger man. "Thanks a bunch for helping me win some Jenny, by the way."

She's not _that_ bad, is she? Tomoe frowns and pulls at the sleeve of her shirt, checking her pale skin for any sign of danger. All she finds are freckles, freckles, and more freckles—so what made the tattooed man bet she'd died in her sleep?

With a huff, Tomoe forces herself to stand and ignores the rebellious ache in her legs. As she grabs her knapsack, she growls at the men, "Find someone else to entertain you."

The old man apologises while the young man scoffs. Tomoe rolls her eyes as she makes her way down the steps leading to the stem of the ship. She hates to admit it, but she's starting to lose steam when it comes to the idea of taking the exam. At this point the exam itself may as well be the excruciating test of patience she's being put through on the ship.

The sleeping quarters don't look to be very full, but Tomoe is more than certain that nearly everyone she'd seen this morning is situated on some form of bedding as the sun goes down. There's not a lot of activity down here, being the same silent state as the crew members and passengers above, and it strikes a nerve with the girl. These people are going to be taking the most difficult test known to man—they should be excited or nervous or _something_!

She chews her lip as she makes her way over to one of the empty hammocks near the doorway. There's only one other person in the area, leaning comfortably in his own hammock as he turns a page of his book. It looks like a pretty thick book, she thinks, and he only appears to be at the starting point of it. Tomoe carefully places her knapsack on the hammock beside his; her gaze sticks to the book as she tries to place the name on the cover. Tomoe isn't sure how long she stares for, but it seems to be for a while—he drops the book onto his lap with a single movement, grey eyes flickering up to Tomoe.

She jumps back and clears her throat nervously, worried that she's annoyed him somehow. Ayaka always says that Tomoe's bad with personal boundaries; up until now, she hasn't wanted to admit it, though.

"I—I'm sorry for staring," she blurts out quietly. She takes notice of the clothes he wears, the sight of the blue tabard making her worry that they may not even speak the same language. "You— Your book is really big."

He blinks at her slowly, almost as though demanding to know what her point is. Tomoe can feel her face going red as he continues to stare in silence. She shouldn't have said anything—she should have just sat down on the hammock and went back to sleep.

The blond lifts his book back up, his blank expression barely even cracking at the awkward moment. As he looks away from her, he asks in a flat tone, "Are you unwell?"

It takes a moment for the question to actually sink in as Tomoe stares down at him with wide eyes. Annoyance flares in her gut as she lifts her knapsack off of the hammock. "I'm perfectly fine," she growls stubbornly. He doesn't bother giving her another response as she storms away to another hammock.

Day two passes with annoyance and impatience. Day three arrives with an early breakfast.

Apples are handed out to each passenger by a couple of members of the crew, fat and green and so juicy that Tomoe's sleeve is stained due to how many times she has to wipe her chin. The hammock she'd chosen turns out to be close to the hammock that the old man from yesterday had made his own, and she comes to find that he's pleasant company. Compared to the cocky, self-assured young applicants that join them on the journey, he's actually quite nice.

He'd introduced himself as Conrad, though Tomoe isn't entirely certain it's his real name. She may have been kept as a forceful shut-in for the past five years, but Hibiki had been adamant about teaching her children about aliases and the power behind names at a young age. She goes along with it, though, and in turn keeps her own full name a secret.

"Have you taken the exam before?" Tomoe asks him as he finishes his apple. Conrad strokes his beard in an almost smug manner, but she's quickly learned that the man likes to act childish.

"This is my nineteenth trip to take it," he tells her proudly. "I'm hoping this year is the lucky year."

She hums with interest. "It'd be a bit bothersome, though, wouldn't it?"

"What would be?"

"Completing the exam on your nineteenth try." Tomoe picks at a loose thread on her skirt, looking up to the ceiling in thought. "It'd be fine if it was eighteen, but nineteen makes it feel less wholesome. It's one away from twenty."

Conrad chuckles at her. The wrinkles on his skin fold and crease as he smiles. "Bothered by uneven numbers, are you?" he teases.

Tomoe scoffs and shakes her head. "I'm not!" she insists. "It just seems like a really unsatisfying amount."

He laughs after her as he falls back into his hammock. She doesn't see what's so funny about it—it's a genuinely unsatisfying sum. One away from twenty; it's like eating a slice of cake a stopping right as only one piece of it remains.

"I assume you're a rookie," Conrad goes on, changing the subject. "Haven't seen you in the previous exams, I mean."

Tomoe nods excitedly. She can feel her fingers start to shake with excitement, but wills the digits to remain still. She _won't_ embarrass herself by acting like a child over this. "I've wanted to do it for a while," she says brightly, "so I snuck out of home and decided to do it this year."

Conrad stares at her in horror. She's not exactly telling the whole truth, but she can imagine that her family will insist on finding her and classing her as a runaway while she's gone. Plus, she really has wanted to do it for a while. Ever since Ayaka came home with a new sense of wisdom and pride, looking all around _different_ to when she'd left, Tomoe's yearned for the experience.

The Folkvar family usually has its children take the exam at eighteen, when their training is supposed to have completed. Tomoe's circumstances are different—she'll be lucky to even make it to eighteen, despite how much she's rested over the years; the chance to take the exam only had the options of now or never, and she's not about to sit around and wait for the sweet release of death to come for her.

She's sure her mother will get over the decision. Besides, it's not like Hibiki didn't do dumb things when she was Tomoe's age.

"What about your family?" Conrad demands. "Do they know where you are?"

Tomoe giggles. "By now they should. One of them helped me sneak out, and I left a note in my room saying I was going, so I'd be surprised if they didn't think to look at the Hunter Exam first."

Conrad only worries more. Tomoe waves him off and tries to calm him down by showing him the fob watch Masao had given her. She's kept it in her knapsack for the past couple of days, mostly to keep herself from getting sentimental and staring at it for hours, and it's only now that she takes notice of the weight the silver device holds.

As far as she knows, Masao's fob watch used to belong to their great grandfather, Kouta. On the inside, on the back of the cover, Tomoe recalls that the seal of the Folkvar family is engraved within. He's cared for it well, the case barely even looking like it's been through quite a journey in the family; looking at it now, filling her palm and casting a heavy weight, she's amazed Masao even gave it to her to begin with.

"My brother gave me this as a keepsake," she tells Conrad. She hands it over to him gently, watching as he inspects it with the care someone would give a precious antique. "I think he expects me to give it back when I'm done."

Conrad runs his finger over the cover, tracing over the bumps that form the floral pattern. She can never remember the name of the plant depicted, but she gets the feeling it has something to do with victory and success—anything less would be insulting to the Folkvar family name.

"He must want you to come home," Conrad mutters to himself. His brown eyes remain glued to the watch as Tomoe scoffs silently.

"Even if he does, he knows how much I want to do this," she reasons. "Masao's smart and loyal, but he's not heartless."

Conrad hums disapprovingly and hands the watch back to her, clicking his tongue. "I just hope you and your brother know what you're in for."

"Oh, we know." Tomoe beams at him as she puts the watch back in her knapsack. "I don't expect to get far. Heck, I don't think I expect to even return home."

Conrad refuses to talk much with her afterwards. Her words seem to have struck a nerve with him, and she wonders if something she's said has insulted a personal event in his life. Maybe a kid of his ran away? Maybe someone in his family, or even a friend, died in the Hunter Exam? Or maybe nothing of what she said applies to him, and he's just sticking his nose in her business?

Damn worrywart, if that's the case. He already placed a bet on whether or not she was dead yesterday—he pretty much lost the right to worry about her after that. Part of Tomoe hopes that Conrad doesn't make it very far in the exam this year, if only to keep the number of times he's participated evenly rounded, but another part of her hopes that he does his best and finally, _finally_ makes it to his goal.

She spends most of the remaining day cloud watching as she tunes her violin. They don't make any stops, leaving them with the same amount of passengers as the day goes by, and Tomoe makes the decision to move hammocks again in the hopes of avoiding any awkwardness with Conrad.

It's not like she doesn't care about her family, to just sneak out at the drop of a hat; but it's not like she's the most obedient child, either. She's not subject to the strict limitations put on all of her other siblings; stopped remaining under the watchful gaze of her mother after she was confined to her room. As long as she didn't leave her bedroom for any reason other than to eat, Tomoe was allowed to do whatever she wanted.

Maybe she feels abandoned, she thinks. Hibiki never really paid much attention to Tomoe after putting her in the background, and it's not like Kayo or Takeo were ever that interested in visiting their sister. Ayaka is busy enough with her own responsibilities—just a week ago, she was called out for _another_ body guard job. That just leaves Masao and the staff, and it's not like they ever put many restrictions on her. Maybe Tomoe just started to subconsciously feel isolated from her family, and it made sneaking out and taking the exam despite the risk easier for her.

Or maybe she's just over-thinking it. There's not a lot to read into with their family—if you can train, you're valuable; if not, you're a nuisance. That's all there is to it, she decides.

The violin is properly tuned and Tomoe spends a good moment or two contemplating practicing. She brought it for a reason, hoping to pass the time with it and keep herself entertained in between the exam's stages, but the open air seems to be making her forget every tune she knows. She plucks at the strings absently as she watches the water rise and fall around the ship.

Good grief, she's bored. Maybe she should have expected some kind of wait that would test her patience.

Tomoe groans loudly and drops the violin onto her lap. If Masao were here, she'd be able to pass the time with conversation, at least. She can't just sleep the whole time, and as far as she knows Conrad doesn't want to talk to her at the moment. On top of it all, figuring out what to do with the violin is annoying her to no end.

"Didn't tell me about this, Sao," she grumbles at the ocean. "Bet you hoped the waiting would teach me a lesson or something."

To hell with it. She's going to pass the time by exploring every last inch of this ship; and if their last stop doesn't come tomorrow, she's swimming the rest of the way.

* * *

The impatience of her third day into the trip wore off soon after she located the bridge by accident. The captain had been less than pleased that she'd just wandered in, but he was more than willing to tell her how long the rest of the trip will be. While she had draped herself over a table dramatically and begged relentlessly for him to give her some idea of how much longer they'd have to wait, she likes to think the captain was kind enough to give her a rough estimation without her encouragement.

And then, of course, have a crew member carry her out after she let go of the table's leg.

That night she moved her knapsack back to the hammock by the blond boy with the book. While she'd made a little bit of an embarrassing first impression with him, she can still guarantee that he won't argue with her decision to run away and take the exam. In fact, she's certain he won't even say another word to her unless she stares at him like an idiot again.

She awakens on day four to silence. Almost everyone else is still asleep, save for a few early risers; Tomoe can't help but groan quietly and roll onto her side. The blond looks to be awake, still reading his book, and she almost wonders out loud how he hasn't finished it yet. He's only at the halfway point of the thick thing, but with how much she sees it in his hands one would guess he'd have it finished by now.

Tomoe frowns at him as she curls further in on herself. She doesn't like the hammocks very much. They're not as comfortable as her bed back at home, and she keeps falling out of hers every time she rolls around too much. She's almost amazed everyone else can sleep comfortably on their own hammocks.

"What even are you reading about?" The words tumble out of her mouth groggily, almost sounding like a mumble. She won't be surprised if the blond doesn't hear her, or even just mistakes her question for sleep talk.

He turns a page without looking to her, leaving her to glare a hole into the back of his head. "Beasts," he says simply.

She waits for him to continue and elaborate just what kind of beasts—which area, which species, mythical or existing—but he drops the conversation with just that one word. Tomoe rolls her eyes at him. "You're terrible at small talk," she grumbles as she rolls over.

Conrad prying into her business and worrying about her family looks a whole lot better than the silent treatment, all of a sudden.


	3. 03

**Sorry for how long this took to get done! Got hit with a bit of writer's block, but hopefully I should be quicker with future updates ^^**

* * *

Their apparent last stop is Whale Island, which can faintly be seen in the horizon when Tomoe wakes up that morning. Four whole days of holding back her excitement completely spill over, and she spends her time beside the blond during breakfast shaking like a maraca. As she chews on her apple, she recalls a time when she'd been forced to wear bracelets with small bells attached—Tomoe had frequently tried to sneak into training sessions and out of her room when she'd first been forbidden from continuing it, unheard by the staff in the estate, and Hibiki had taken advantage of her disastrous habit of breaking into a full-body shake whenever she got excited.

The absence of the bells jingling now isn't lost on Tomoe, and neither is the mixture of concern and annoyance on the blond's face beside her.

Her spot at the front of the ship hasn't been stolen back by the time she finishes her breakfast and makes her way out of the sleeping quarters. After thinking on it for a bit and letting herself be overwhelmed by excitement, Tomoe has a rough idea of a tune she wants to play on her violin while she waits for the Kaijinmaru to arrive at Whale Island. She tucks herself into the folds, as she has for the past few days, and exhales a shaky breath as more aspiring Hunters take their spots on deck.

Violin poised on her shoulder, Tomoe casts her eyes up towards the sky. Another habit of hers is looking away from her violin, or even anything in front of her—she used to panic a lot when she first began to learn, jumbling up notes if she so much as made eye contact with someone. Closing her eyes made her feel vulnerable, more aware of whoever was around her, and she'd eventually found it easier to play if she looked up at the ceiling or out the window. Performing for others doesn't faze her much anymore, but it's hard to stop herself from gazing up at the clouds as she plays to her heart's content.

She waves the bow as though conducting other violinists, and then she joins in with her imaginary orchestra. If anyone looks over to her to see what she's doing, Tomoe won't notice. The tune starts off slow and long, feigning a sad tone, as chatter starts among the crew and haughty laughter reaches her ears. They must be finding her hobby amusing—a girl who looks half-dead playing a sad tune on a violin would certainly be something even the butlers at the estate would laugh at. Clichéd and predictable; searching for pity and receiving only taunts.

As the laughter and muttering picks up, Tomoe allows herself a small smile before rapidly jumping into a tune reminiscent of a jig. Airi was the one who taught Tomoe how to play the violin, but it was always the sad, dramatic, boring stuff that was put on a stand in front of her; it had taken a while to learn more livelier tunes in secret, and the hidden practice sessions were probably the only good thing to come from being isolated from the rest of her family.

She's not sure how long she plays for, but the muttering soon splits in half soon after she starts—a portion of travellers find themselves enjoying the music, while the remainder either shut up entirely or continue their murmuring. Tomoe can't bring herself to care, though. This is the only thing she has left to pass the time that isn't talking to people again, and she's not letting the discomfort of others stop her from having fun.

By the time her hand cramps and she drops the violin onto her lap with a hiss, abruptly bringing the music to a stop, Whale Island is only a matter of minutes away. Tomoe bites her lip in frustration as she shakes her hand at the wrist to ease tension. She's been having trouble with getting cramps in her hand lately, and she's tried almost everything to fix it. Righting her posture, resting for a few days, adjusting the violin—none of it seems to work.

Her fingers are red as she puts the violin back in its case, and then tucks the case back into her knapsack. The passengers that had watched her are either disinterested now that she's not playing, or giving her sidelong looks that contain mixed emotions. She can't tell if they liked her playing or not—but she'll know if they didn't when they try to throw her overboard during future practice. Or smash her violin.

Tomoe lets out a small yawn and rubs her wrist softly. She can't wait to see what Whale Island looks like; she's seen pictures of it on maps, and it most certainly holds a resembles to a whale, but she'd much rather see what the island holds within rather than pictures in a square. What are the people like? Do they have nice food? What kinds of animals are on the island? A mere map can't tell her these things, but a quick trip through the docks might be able to.

She rises to her feet and stretches just a little, hoping to dull the ache in her wrist by moving around a bit. She can barely contain herself as her shakes start up again, leaving her to wobble just a little bit as she takes a few steps towards the ship's starboard. This is so _exciting_! Only Whale Island and then she's clear to go to the exam! Gosh, she wonders what it'll be like. Masao and Ayaka never said much about it, but Masao at least agreed that it was the hardest thing he's done yet since his training began. Tomoe wonders if she'll get past the first stage—or at least arrive at the first stage, now that she thinks about it.

Travelling by boat is a risky way to go, especially when storms hit. What if the Kaijinmaru sails into a storm and the boat capsizes? She's not too good at swimming... Then again, though, the Captain is an experienced man. He'll definitely be able to free his ship from a storm, should one hit.

Knapsack left in her spot, Tomoe allows herself a few minutes to walk laps around the deck. Everyone else is either sitting or doing the same as her, making it look like a pretty regular occurrence. Now that she's not making loud noises with her violin, she's being ignored—which is fine. Less attention means more quiet time, and that Tomoe can slip around the ship again without going noticed. She still hasn't explored _all_ of the rooms on the ship, leaving enough of a mystery for her to continue investigating.

The view from each side of the ship seems impossibly beautiful, no matter how many times she sees it. Tomoe honestly thinks she could get used to something like this, content with sailing the seas for the rest of her days instead of going back home. Maybe she could indulge her childhood dream of being a pirate and commit vigilante acts out at sea. Captain Tomoe Dreadscar, she used to call herself; her seven-year-old mind would turn the fields of grass into water, and she would always steal supplies from the kitchen in order to give to the newer servants—or, in her eyes, the less fortunate. Looking back on her ideal pirate career now, the name she picked was terrible; what even is a "dread scar" anyway? Probably something dumb and childish.

She thinks so hard on this that she fails to look in front of her, eyes glued to the horizon as she continues to put one foot in front of the other. Tomoe doesn't pick up on the briefcase in front of her until her toes tap its side loudly, frightening her out of her stare. Heart beating wildly in her chest, Tomoe jumps back and lets out the tiniest of squeaks; the briefcase falls onto its side, hitting the knee of a man sitting beside it.

He looks up from his magazine with a sneer, brown eyes narrowed at her.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" he demands, bristling at her sudden presence by his side. She screws up her face at him. The man doesn't seem to like the expression. "Tryna take my things? Staking me out?"

Tomoe can only blink ever so slowly at him, and suddenly she knows how the blond had felt when she'd barged in on his reading days earlier.

"You're in the way of the path," she tells him instead, adopting the straightforward manner the blond had used. Maybe this man, dressed in his fancy suit and clutching his adult magazine, will get as annoyed as she had and move somewhere else.

He lets out the most annoying sound she's ever heard. "What path?" he growls. "This is a ship. A ship doesn't have a path."

Tomoe knocks on the edge of the ship, and then points further down—towards the stairs leading to the Captain's cabin. "The edge of the ship is what I've marked as a path. You're in the way of it."

He flicks his wrist and returns his gaze to his magazine, squinting at one particular article on the page. How rude, she thinks! She just wants to follow the way she'd walked and have her fun watching Whale Island get closer and closer, but instead this man thinks he's too good for her to even _reply_ to her stupid statement.

"Walk around me," he grumbles, adding under his breath, "spoiled brat."

Tomoe's eyes bulge to the size of saucers. Good grief, apparently the man can get even more rude!

She stamps her foot impatiently, balling her fists at her sides. "What was that?" she says loudly, hoping to earn the attention of at least a few people. "You're saying that I, a poor, sick lady, have to go _around_ you and your perverted hobbies?"

The magazine lowers again. The glare in his eye is much more intense than last time. "You're really starting to annoy me, princess," he says lowly. "Walk away before I make you."

"I'd like to see you try, old man," she growls back. As though to emphasise her point, she lightly kicks at his briefcase and watches as it lands hazardously in his lap. She refuses to run away from his challenge and be spoken down to. She may be dying, but she still has her dignity, damn it.

Ever so slowly, the man rises to his feet and fixes his glasses. The magazine is scrunched up in one hand, the cover so hideously crumpled that the woman posing on the front is unrecognisable. Tomoe has to admit that she didn't account for just how tall the man would be, but she doesn't back down as he looms over her with an expression of spite.

"I'm not an old man," he snarls. Tomoe smirks up at him and clicks her tongue. Her hands are shaking again, itching to test how well she remembers her family's training.

"I'm not a spoiled brat." Holding her head up high, she puffs out her chest to appear tougher. He doesn't look fazed in the slightest, his calm demeanour just barely hiding the level of anger threatening to spill through. She gives him a rushed once-over, taking care not to look away from his eyes for too long, and quickly comes up with an impromptu plan.

 _Long legs_ , she thinks. _Probably uncoordinated with them. Twiggy figure; might not be much of a fighter. Could probably break a knee and hide out somewhere if it gets too hectic. Or try throw him overboard._

One thing is for certain: She'll have a hard time taking him on without a weapon or quick escape route with how tall he is. Tomoe's small for her age, sure, but this man is inhumanly tall. It's a wonder he doesn't hit his forehead on the frames of doors.

"You've got some nerve," he goes on, "picking a fight and claiming to be sick."

She can feel the gazes of multiple people on them, but Tomoe can't bring herself to look away just yet. The man in the blue suit needs to be put in his place. "Haven't you heard?" she giggles. "Most of the passengers are already betting on when I'll be at my deathbed. I already look the part, anyway."

His nostrils flare with rage, and just as he takes a step closer to her and inhales deeply, the captain lets out a bellow from the stairs ahead of them.

Whale Island is only a matter of minutes away.

Patting the man on the chest roughly, Tomoe bids him farewell and skips back to her spot at the stem of the ship. She plans on getting something to eat while the ship is docked for a while, and she can't afford to leave her knapsack behind while she explores. He just stands there and watches as she leaves, glowering at her as she hops up the steps and hums a soft tune to herself.

Only a few sets of eyes remain on her and the man, one of them belonging to the blond with the book. Tomoe's almost surprised that he'd tuned in to the little argument the duo had had—he always seems to come across as disinterested in everyone, and he doesn't talk to anyone. Maybe he secretly likes drama and tunes in when no one is watching?

She breezes past him and whisks up her knapsack, checking inside to make sure everything is still in its place; once she finds her things in order, Tomoe slings it over one shoulder and makes her way towards the ship's rear. She feels like she'll get a better view from there, as silly as it sounds, and doesn't want to miss out on seeing what the people of Whale Island are like upon their arrival.

Before she can so much as make it past the blond, however, she's stopped by a very accusatory statement. The blond declares, "It's foolish to attempt the Hunter exam while you're sick."

Tomoe stops in her tracks, just an arm's length away from him as he leans against the edge of the ship. His eyes are glued to the oncoming docks, a bored expression held within them.

She swallows her urge to pick a fight with him as well, eagerness to try the local cuisine overruling her stubbornness. "That just makes it all the more fun," she reasons. There's hesitation in her movements as she starts walking again, almost expecting him to say something else and poke at her temper more. But the blond says nothing; he just remains where he is, watching the people of Whale Island with that bored expression of his.

* * *

Whale Island didn't have much to offer in regards to sightseeing and cuisine, to her dismay. Merely an island that doubles as a trading hotspot, particularly for fish, the best the people had to offer was a large plate of fish that tasted much too bitter for Tomoe's tongue. Not many people boarded the Kaijinmaru either, the applicants of the island being limited to a young boy clad in green and a muscular man who looked like he was suffering from a permanent stomach ache.

Even from her spot at the stem she can hear the boy calling to his family on the island, saying he'll be the best Hunter in the world, and she can't help but smile. He's so ambitious and full of energy; she hopes he makes it all the way through the exam and gets his licence.

It's only a matter of time before they arrive at Dolle Harbour now, and she can't control the shakes wracking her body. Soon she'll be able to take the exam. Soon she'll be able to live out her lifelong dream. Soon she'll be able to follow through on family tradition, even if a year early. _Soon, soon, soon_.

She fishes through her knapsack in search of the bottle she'd brought along with her; her fingers brush against the surface of the fob watch Masao had given her, and for a moment she considers taking it out and seeing if it still works. The boy in green is climbing the mast as the captain watches curiously; she watches him as he climbs higher and higher with a speed she's never seen before, and before she knows it her hand is wrapped tightly around the watch.

It feels cold in her hand, the grooves of the cover digging into her skin. She may as well take it out now that she's holding it, she thinks. It couldn't hurt to look at it and check the time, either.

The watch is still as big as the day she'd had it given to her, filling her palm like a weight and being much too large to tuck into a pocket. She can't believe Masao has taken such good care of it up until now. He must've spent days polishing and tinkering with it to make sure it stayed in tip top shape; after all, the heavy thing used to belong to their great grandfather. Something as old as this doesn't age gracefully.

Her thumb hovers over the latch release, almost as though hesitant to press down. Tomoe isn't sure what's holding her back. A concern that the watch doesn't work? The threat of memories hitting her all at once? The glass casing being cracked and difficult to see through? Whatever it is, it's not doing very well to remind her that leaving home was the choice she _wanted_ for the past five years. Masao gave the only heirloom he's ever received to her just so she wouldn't forget them, and for all she knows it may end up stolen when she dies. What a waste of a perfectly good heirloom, she thinks.

With a deep sigh, she gives in and finally presses down on the latch release. She expects to see the minute and hour hands frozen in place, the second hand ticking away as though nothing is wrong; but instead she's met with the flutter of paper as the wind picks it up, blowing it away from its previous confine.

Tomoe panics and drops the watch all at once in an attempt to grab for the paper. It flutters out of her reach, floating higher and higher; her heart sinks as she watches the paper rise with each small gust of wind. What if there was an important message on there? What if Masao had left her a final note on how to do well at the exam? What if it had been a crucial clue for something she'd encounter along the way? She lets out a small whine and looks down at the watch, the paper pushed out of her mind for now. As far as she can tell it's not damaged, but she gets the feeling that she won't be as lucky if she drops it again.

This is her last day on the Kaijinmaru. Hopefully it goes by quickly enough to inspire her excitement once more.

* * *

 **Also for those wondering/those who keep track of little tidbits of info with characters, Tomoe is 5'3 and her birthday is February 20th - making her a couple of months older than Kurapika, however only a little bit taller than Gon and Killua. If there's any other trivia I can think of for Tomoe in future chapters, I'll be sure to list them! If there's anything in particular, be it a small tidbit of information, that you guys want to know I'll include them in future trivia sections!**


	4. 04

**Did I just update with an 8.5k chapter? Yes.**

 **Could I have split it in half? _Boy did I try_.**

* * *

"Hey? Miss?"

Tomoe jumps in surprise, almost throwing her violin at whoever had snuck up on her. She'd already closed her eyes and got into position against the edge of the ship, violin balanced safely on her shoulder. No one really came near her whenever she looked like she was doing anything. In fact, no one went near anyone on this damn boat unless it was to stir up trouble.

Saying she hadn't expected to be scared senseless by a short call is an understatement.

Tomoe casts her gaze left and right, frantically looking for the source of the voice. Everyone beside her is keeping to themselves, not even looking at her—which only leaves in front. She looks out towards the window the captain stands behind, watching the horizon with glazed eyes. Her sights travel lower and lower, searching and searching, until finally it stops.

Spiked black hair. Not unlike the style worn by the man in the suit, but definitely wilder and thicker. Connected to the hair, she finds as she looks further down, is a young face with a large smile aimed right at her. Tomoe blinks in surprise, trying her best to remember if she'd seen this child before.

Green clothes, a fishing pole, and a look to him that screams "energetic bundle of fun". Yes, she's certain she's seen him.

He grins at her and leans forward, hands balanced on his crossed ankles. "Do you know a lot of songs?" he asks.

 _For what reason?_ she almost asks, but the violin suddenly feels heavy on her shoulder. Of course, she thinks. He means the violin.

Tomoe smiles back at him, sinking down until she's sitting as well. From this height, they seem to be almost eye-level with each other. She wouldn't be surprised if he's only a few inches shorter than her, or even the same height.

"I was about to practice a bit," she tells him. His grin grows and his eyes light up. She swears she can see them shining like stars, amber orbs stuck on her like she's just told him the greatest news in the world. Tomoe can't help but laugh a bit; he's almost as bad at hiding his excitement as she is. "I get nervous when people watch, though."

His mouth drops into a gape, forming a perfect oval at the statement. "How come? Do you think you're bad?"

She shakes her head. "I'm just silly," she says.

The boy hums and nods in understanding, almost as though her vague answer is as clear as day. He doesn't look bothered by this, and resumes his smiling when she lowers the violin onto her lap.

Tomoe points to him with her bow. She waves it around like a wand, watching as his eyes follow it curiously. "Do you do a lot of fishing?" she asks him.

He nods enthusiastically. "I had to catch a fish on the island to take the exam!" he proclaims. Tomoe hums at him with mild interest.

"That sounds easy," she says. Granted, she's never caught a fish in her life. But if so many people were hauling them in back at Whale Island, it couldn't be that hard, right? "How big was the fish? Did you get to eat it?"

The boy rolls onto his side and rises to his feet. He's got that giddy smile on his face as he moves with quick jerks of his legs, practically bouncing around with each step. He slides his backpack off of his shoulders and rolls it towards Tomoe, letting it rest just by her feet. She stares down at it in bewilderment; what's she meant to do with this bag? This yellow, sort of gaudy-looking bag?

A short hum breaks her out of her confusion, just in time for her to witness the boy leaping down the steps and heading towards the other side of the ship. He keeps looking back at her every few steps, almost as though he might be worried she'll steal from him. He walks and walks, even passing the captain's window, before he finally stops at the top step at the ship's stern.

"This big!" he shouts to her. She can just barely hear him clearly over the waves and seagulls, but boy is she surprised when she realises he's answering her question. Tomoe springs to her feet and screeches in excitement. A chorus of groans is heard around her, but she ignores them as she launches herself towards the railing.

"From the bag to you!?" she yells back. She's smiling just as widely as he is now, overcome with a pride over such an amazing feat. No wonder they let him leave for the exam just for catching a fish—he caught a _monster_!

He nods and starts running back to her, fishing pole held above his head in an attempt to avoid hitting anyone with it. "That's amazing!" Tomoe goes on. "It's gotta be three— No, _four_ times bigger than us at the least!"

"It's bigger than everyone I know on the island," he remarks. It's the most innocent thing she's ever heard—please, little boy, Tomoe already said it's bigger than the two of them—and it just makes her heart flutter with even more pride. Gosh, she wishes she was that age again.

"No wonder they let you take the exam for catching it," Tomoe marvels. She hops over to his side as he quickly pushes his back beside hers, nestling it safely against the stem. "You're gonna kill it for sure!"

"You think so?" he gasps.

Tomoe nods wildly. Her hair almost catches in her mouth at the movement. "I know it."

Her faith in him seems to have solidified her in his good books. The boy is quick to whisk up his bag and her violin, telling her that the weather will change soon and that he wants to explore before it does; he invites her with him, and she agrees.

Tomoe never really got any opportunities to spend time with her younger siblings, now that she thinks about it. She wonders if exploring the estate with them would've been like leading this bundle of energy around the Kaijinmaru; Kayo would be almost the same age as the boy, she thinks, and as far as she knows Kayo is just as boisterous as Tomoe had been at that age.

It's pretty fun looking around with him. He must not have been on a boat before, because he looks at everything with a sense of wonder and awe. It's pretty refreshing to see after four days of being ignored, bet on, and practically challenged to a fight by others. They sneak into the kitchen and manage to steal a few carrots from the supply crate, just barely avoiding the cook as he moves around with a beheaded fish cradled in his arms. They move on to the crew's quarters, an area Tomoe hadn't seen yet, and immediately she complains about them having bunks while the applicants get hammocks. The crewmembers lounging about within break out into a sweat and frantically begin making their beds, sweeping the floor, doing anything remotely close to a chore; Tomoe can't help but smirk at the sight.

Once they arrive in the applicants' quarters, they sit down on her hammock and munch away on their carrots. They still haven't introduced themselves yet, too caught up in the fun of exploring the ship; she doesn't really care, though. She still doesn't know the name of her hammock-mate (hammock-mate? Bunkmate? _Significant annoyance_?) or the man leering into his magazines, and she doesn't expect them to throw their introductions at her on a silver platter.

Instead of introducing themselves, the first thing they do is just ask anything _but_ for their names.

"How long have you been on the ship?" the boy asks once he finishes his carrot. Tomoe's still munching on hers, halfway done with it—not that having a mouth full of half-chewed food will stop her from talking.

"About four days?" she muses around the bits of carrot. "I got picked up from Havenby, which is a long way from here."

He gawks at her. "You're really determined if Havenby is far away."

She nods. "I was supposed to take it next year, actually." Tomoe leans closer to him and drops her voice to a whisper shortly after swallowing the carrot mush. "I got impatient and decided to take it early, though."

He giggles—actually giggles—at her statement. "Did your family want you to wait till you were older?"

"Sort of. My family makes it a tradition to take the exam when we're eighteen." She kicks out at the air absently, taking another bite of her carrot. "I've wanted to do it since I was twelve, though, so I couldn't wait much longer."

"So that means you're seventeen?"

Tomoe nods. A confused look passes by him for a second, replaced by furrowed brows and a hand grasping his chin. He tilts his head in thought, looking her up and down.

"What?" she blurts out.

"You don't look seventeen. You're small."

She huffs out her cheeks in offense, but he's not exactly wrong. The kid's, what, twelve? And she's not much taller than him—spiked hair included. That doesn't stop her from defending her case, though. "I'll have you know I'm the second-tallest out of my siblings!" she boasts. "And I'm the middle child."

He blinks up at her. "Who's the tallest?"

"My big brother. He helped me get on the ship and take the exam while everyone else was asleep."

"Whoa... He sounds cool." The boy starts kicking his legs out like she is, mimicking her like a younger sibling would their elder. "Does he play the violin too?"

"No." Tomoe picks up her knapsack from the floor and pulls the violin case out. She hasn't exactly pulled out her violin to play for him yet, and she figures she can pluck at the strings at the very least until she finds the confidence to play for him willingly. As she unclasps the case, she recalls, "I'm pretty sure he plays the piano. I always hear him playing from my room and teaching our little brother. He's a lot better with music than I am, actually—even composed and original song for Mama's birthday one year."

There's that twinkle in his eyes again, jaw dropped in awe at the news he's hearing. It's not that remarkable, being able to play an instrument; maybe there isn't much music on Whale Island? Or maybe this boy in particular never took to it like the Folkvar family has? It feels nice, though, being looked at like she's accomplished so much despite knowing so little.

She plucks at the strings just as the door to the quarters opens. A flood of applicants breaks through the doorway, some of them covered in a thin layer of water and others dry as a bone. She catches sight of the blond and his book as he deftly avoids brushing shoulders with anyone, unsurprised at his lack of even accidental contact as he remains one of the dry few. He meets her eye for just a moment, casting a quick glance at the boy as well, and then settles into his hammock without a word.

His book is out within seconds, opened at the last page he'd finished at.

"Oh!" The boy bounces on the hammock. The movement almost throws Tomoe off, but she manages to hold on by leaning back a little and throwing her legs out. The only downside is that she almost kicks the blond in the rib with the action. "I forgot to introduce myself!"

Tomoe shrugs, plucking at the strings just a little bit more loudly. She wonders if she can get a rise out of the blond for once, now that she knows it's their last night until they reach Dolle Harbour. "It's okay," she tells the boy. "I only know the name of one person—and it's not my hammock-mate over there. I'm Tomoe, by the way."

"My name's Gon!" the boy announces. Tomoe smiles down at him. It's actually a pretty decent name; easy to remember, and quick enough to say that it almost fits his hasty movements. "Tomoe sounds like a really pretty name."

She laughs once, out loud, and waves a hand at him. The dumbest smile is on her face as she looks away, hoping to hide her blush. Back when her skin wasn't so pale, it was easy to hide even the smallest hints of embarrassment—except around her ears. Now she may as well be an open book.

"Pshaw," she blurts out. "I don't know what Mama was thinking when she named me. I'm pretty sure she just didn't know if I was going to be a boy or a girl and just went with it. Nothing pretty."

"She must've really liked the name if she kept it in the end," Gon tries.

She rubs at her cheeks, willing away her blush in the hopes she can try change the subject. Her face only feels warmer and warmer with the effort. A small chuckle—just barely above a breathy laugh—reaches her ears. Tomoe's eyes dart towards the blond's hammock in alarm. His book is still in his hands, index finger tucked between the current and next page, and everything looks to be its usual appearance of indifference—save for the single grey eye watching them and the slight curl of an amused mouth.

Tomoe blushes even harder, embarrassed beyond belief despite herself, which prompts Gon to start laughing at the sight of her. As soon as she'd caught sight of the blond's gaze, it flickers away and returns to its passive expression. He turns a page in his book and resumes reading, almost as though he'd never even eavesdropped.

She furiously plucks at the violin strings as she turns her attention back to Gon. She may as well attempt to recover, though the amount of good trying to regain her composure will do won't be a lot. "H—Hey," she tries weakly, "do you know where Havenby is, now that I think about it?"

Gon shakes his head once.

"If I can find a map, I'll show you! It's a really nice place with lots of trees—well, where my family lives is where most of the trees are. It gets pretty during autumn."

"It sounds like a nice place," Gon says. "Are you gonna go back when you finish the exam?"

Now that's a question that makes her freeze altogether. Her fingers hover above the violin strings hesitantly as she considers her answer, uncertain as to what she should say. Conrad had practically asked the same thing, though it was more focused on her family than her home, but Tomoe doesn't know if she can just say to this young boy that she doesn't expect to live that long. What if she upsets him? What if it pushes him away because of awkwardness like Conrad? Worst of all, what if he pities her?

She clears her throat and rests her hand against the violin entirely. There's always a half-truth she could tell.

"Were you on Whale Island all your life, Gon?" she asks softly.

Gon looks at her with a confused blink, but he nods nonetheless. "Well, I've been in Havenby all my life," she explains. "Specifically with my family, in our home. I love them dearly, don't get me wrong, but I really don't know if I should go back if I pass. I don't know if I'll be able to."

"How come?" Gon actually looks a little worried. Maybe she should've just told a complete lie instead of putting in some of the truth.

Tomoe shrugs. "Once you get a taste of the world beyond the horizon you grew up with, you can't stay away. At least that's what Masao says whenever he tells me about his travels," she adds with a small smile.

Gon seems to take the words to heart, almost as though he knows what Masao had meant. Tomoe wonders if he has a family member who's said something similar to him, or if travelling has been a big dream for Gon alongside taking the exam. Whatever it is, she doesn't get time to ask; Gon whisks up his bag and announces that he's going to go find a spot to wait the storm over and hang around.

Barely even a second passes before the boat lurches to the side at the impact of a wave, confirming Gon's announcement of a storm. Tomoe almost drops her violin, barely saving it in time as she falls off of her hammock and slides under the blond's. Nothing looks to be broken once the ship rights itself, though crawling out from under the blond may have cracked her pride a little.

"Sheesh," she grumbles to herself. "There goes any hope of practicing while I wait the storm out."

A small hum of agreement comes from above her, and for a moment she thinks her ears are playing tricks on her. Still on all fours and crawling to her knapsack, Tomoe turns to look at the blond with wide eyes. He doesn't look to have moved or even looked in her direction, turning a page in his book as he scans over the words silently.

Maybe she just imagined it, she thinks. There's no way he'd be able to just agree with her despite never actually participating in small talk with her. It's laughable.

But also curious.

Tomoe scrunches up her nose as she carefully puts her violin back in its case. She wonders if she can get him to talk to her by saying something he'll agree with—like how it'll be hard to stay on their feet if they get up during the storm. She wonders if she can get him to say something other than one sentence or comment on her being sick. She wonders if he even has any other books to loan out.

She doesn't investigate; instead, Tomoe finds a different way to entertain herself.

She never noticed how free of chipped wood the floor of their quarters is. She also never noticed how easily the material of her sweater glides along the wood without catching, like socks on tiles. The storm gets a lot more fun once she does notice, though.

The violent lurches of the ship last long enough to propel Tomoe along the floor with ease. Laying on her back, legs tucked to her chest and shoes by her knapsack, she slides around like a puck and practically crashes into other applicants having a hard time keeping down their lunches. It's quite fun, actually; normally she'd have to be pushed around by someone, or be the one doing the pushing, but the ship may as well be doing all the work for her.

She slides past Conrad's hammock and waves to him. He waves back, amused by the sight of her and having apparently set aside her remarks from days before. The tattooed man is with him, looking as though he's gotten over losing his bet as well.

The ship lurches again, and this time she's gliding back towards the blond. She lets out a short cackle as she starts to slow down, ready to do her best to annoy him and make a swift getaway. Why bother trying to make conversation when she can just kick him from under the hammock? She almost slides to a halt beneath him, ready to kick out one of her feet, when the ship leans even further in its current direction.

Tomoe panics, arms flailing about as her cackles turn into squeaks of surprise, and then she's crashing into the far wall with an almighty groan.

The crunch of an apple comes from beside her. She looks up to see who it is, surprised that anyone is able to stomach food with the way the ship is moving; her curiosity quickly turns to disdain, however, when she recognises the bent glasses on the man's face.

He's watching her with a glare as he chews his apple slowly, almost like he expects her to kick out at him suddenly. It's not a bad idea, but she doesn't exactly feel like getting thrown overboard by him if she pisses him off. The blond, _maybe_ she can outrun. This guy? Not with her small legs.

Instead of provoking him, Tomoe tries for a direct approach. She points at the apple in his hand and then her bare foot, proposing, "I'll bet you twenty Jenny that I can kick your apple into someone's face."

His cheeks puff out angrily. "Like hell!" he growls. Tomoe groans loudly as the ship lurches once more, and then she's sliding away from him with a glare.

Her journey of sliding ends back at her hammock. Her back aches as she sits up and her knees creak as she stretches out her legs, but the experience had still been worth it. This is probably the most fun she's had in years, and it was a simple slide along the floor—why not ignore the back pain and enjoy it for what it was?

As she sits up, she notes that the blond has almost finished his book. There's got to be at least a dozen, maybe a few more pages left in the book. And then he'll be forced to talk to her with full sentences!

Deciding to get a head start, Tomoe stretches her arms above her head and tries to get his attention with a groan. "Everyone gets to gamble except me," she whines.

A flip of a page. _Less than a dozen—give or take—to go_. "You're seventeen," he reminds her, though his tone is lacking care. If anything, it feels like he's reminding an idiot of the obvious.

Tomoe glares at him. "That's beside the point," she says. "If people make bets on me, I should be able to make bets on them. It's only fair."

He lets out a quiet hum. It's not one of agreement—more like a "whatever you say" kind of hum. Dubious, she thinks the word is.

All throughout the area she can hear moaning. She'd been so caught up by her own fun that she hadn't noticed it before—it looks like almost no one can handle the ship's swaying or the storm. Even Conrad, on his nineteenth trip, looks a little worse for wear as he dangles half-out of his hammock. The last sway must have been hard on everyone. She wonders if Gon's alright.

She rises to her feet in an attempt to rid herself of the ache in her knees. As she stretches, she hears the creak of the door opening. One of the crew, or even the captain, must be checking to make sure everyone is alright.

A laugh breaks through the crowd's groaning, breathy and having a distinct slur to it as a voice berates half of the applicants. Tomoe rolls her eyes and reaches for her knapsack, hoping to check and see that her violin isn't damaged from the storm. She can hear Gon's voice vaguely coming from somewhere further in the area, talking about a herb and water coming soon. It brings a short sense of relief to know that he sounds like he's doing okay.

It seems like some of the applicants may not be well enough to take the exam once they reach Dolle Harbour. Seasickness is one thing, but an absolute assault on the stomach and sense of direction is another. Tomoe may as well consider herself lucky that she doesn't get sick in the stomach easily.

The voice that had berated the applicants rings out again, this time addressing a few people while he yells above everyone else.

"Green boy, Freckles, Blondie, and Glasses," he shouts. Tomoe thinks he may have meant someone else when he says Freckles, but she finds herself corrected when she looks to the door and points to herself in confusion. The captain is the one calling to them, and he doesn't look like he wants to ask them for tea. "Yes, I mean you, you twerp. All of you, come with me to the bridge."

Well, the trip was fun while it lasted. It's not like she'll get far by swimming if they kick her off now. Honestly, she actually more disappointed that Gon seems to be getting into trouble as well.

They all file out the door behind the captain—Tomoe, Gon, the blond and the man in the suit—and are led to the bridge in silence. She carries her shoes in her hands, too lazy to put them back on her feet, and stretches her toes out with each step she takes. Masao had said that the exam was tough, even before it starts; maybe this is what he meant by it? Piss someone off and you get kicked off?

She's getting ahead of herself, she thinks as they enter the bridge. They're lined up in front of a map pinned to the wall, the captain regarding them as one of the crew members—Katsuo, she thinks his name is—holds a clipboard in his hands.

The captain doesn't waste time getting to the point.

"First," he declares, "tell me your names."

Gon is quick to raise his hand, right between the tall man and the blond, and introduce himself. The blond follows suit without question—Kurapika, he calls himself—and the tall man grunts out his name as though he doesn't want anyone to know—Leorio, he declares rudely. Tomoe goes last, saying just her name out of uncertainty. This is a really weird way to kick people off of the ship.

Katsuo is writing down their names on the clipboard hurriedly as the captain continues, "Why do you want to be Hunters?"

Maybe he's not kicking them off? It's a bit of an odd question to ask if you want to kick someone off a ship.

Leorio is the first to answer, though he isn't the first to _answer the question_. He points at the captain wildly and glares from behind his glasses. "If you're not an examiner, you can't boss us around!" he snaps.

The captain glares back at him. "Just answer the question!"

She debates answering just to ease the tension. It couldn't hurt to say that she's wanted to be a Hunter since she was twelve, and that now was her best chance to try. Maybe she could even say that she wants to follow Folkvar tradition, since everyone else has done it before her.

Instead, though, it's Gon who jumps in to calm the atmosphere.

"My dad's a Hunter," he declares. That calm smile is on his face as he says this. The captain blinks at him in surprise, though Tomoe can't tell if it's because he answered so readily or not. "I left Whale Island because I want to know why my dad wanted to be a Hunter so much."

It's Tomoe's turn to stare at him in awe, amazed at the new piece of information she's learning about Gon. All of a sudden it makes sense why he's just as excited as she is to take the exam—someone else before him inspired him to do it. Not to mention he caught a gigantic fish just to see why his dad wanted to become a Hunter! That's dedication right there.

"Hey, kid!"

Her admiration soon turns to exasperation once Leorio speaks up again, this time yelling at Gon. The man really doesn't know how to shut up once he starts, she thinks.

"You're not supposed to answer his question," Leorio tells Gon. Gon turns to face him, taking a stand against the tall man as he demands to know why he can't answer the question. Tomoe peeks around Kurapika with a grin, silently cheering the boy on as he argues with Leorio.

Leorio pokes at Gon's forehead and declares that he doesn't want to say why he wants to be a Hunter. Kurapika doesn't seem to want to add anything to the conversation, content with staying silent like usual, but Tomoe definitely has a lot to say if that's the only reason for Leorio to be so rude.

She strides past Kurapika and wedges herself between Gon and Leorio, ready to shove the man away if he gets in her face.

"Why should the rest of us stay silent in order for you to keep your reason secret?" she demands. "You can just say nothing regardless of what we do if you're that adamant."

Annoyance flashes in Leorio's eyes. "Why, you—"

"I agree with Leorio."

All three of them jump in surprise at the sound of the voice. For a second Tomoe doesn't recognise it, but once that soft tone clicks into place she almost feels her heart sink. Kurapika, why side with this man?

Leorio starts yelling at him—something about being respectful because Kurapika is younger—but Kurapika just ignores him. Part of Tomoe wants to laugh out loud at Leorio, mocking him for getting the same treatment she has for the past few days, but another part of her demands she stay silent. There's got to be a reason why Kurapika would just agree with a man like Leorio.

"It's quite simple to avoid pesky questions by offering a plausible lie," Kurapika goes on. He barely makes eye contact with the rest of them, directing his response to the captain. "However, it's quite shameful to rely upon deceit. That said," he adds, this time in a solemn tone, "if I were to tell you the truth, I would be exposing my deepest secrets. That is why I cannot provide an answer."

His hand goes to his chest, hovering over his heart as his gaze leaves the captain. Tomoe watches him with a frown. He's right about using lies being shameful, but unlike Kurapika's deepest secrets, Tomoe can't help but rely on lies to avoid pity. Whatever it is he wants to do by becoming a Hunter will be leagues away from her own reasons. Tomoe has no doubt that if she lies now, as well, her approval with Kurapika will fall lower than it already is.

But she still can't bring herself to be truthful when someone as young as Gon is with them. It was hard enough being twelve and learning that you wouldn't live as long as your siblings—she can imagine how hard it would be for a twelve-year-old to hear that their friend won't live another year.

The captain looks over Kurapika once, processing his answer, and then his eyes dart to Tomoe. She jumps in surprise, backing away from Leorio.

"What about you, twerp?" he huffs. "You refuse to answer the question too?"

May as well support Gon and stand her ground against Leorio with this one. She just hopes her lie is believable enough.

Tomoe scratches her cheek nervously and looks at the floor, just near the captain's feet. "W—Well, it's tradition in my family to take the exam to test our abilities," she mumbles. "We use the exam as a self assessment, but we don't go far enough to become Hunters. So I guess my reason is that I don't really want to be one—I just want to know if I've joined my siblings in the family business."

He doesn't say anything for a good few seconds; not even a hum escapes him. Tomoe dares a peek up at the captain's face, wondering if he believes her. Maybe he's considering her and Gon's answers? Maybe he's trying to figure out what to do with Kurapika and Leorio?

The captain pulls at his coat and reaches within. The faintest rustling of paper is heard, even over the rain pelting the window, and then Tomoe is met with the sight of the letter Masao had given her upon her arrival. The top of it looks to be torn open, a corner of the letter poking out from the envelope.

"Your family takes the exam at eighteen," the captain tells her. "I doubt the Head of the Folkvar Estate would let you leave a year early."

Her throat practically closes up at the statement. Crap, what did Masao say in that letter? Did he spill everything—tell the captain she's dying? Or did he leave it vague enough to only hint it at? She should've read it before she gave it to the captain. She should've known Masao would try to baby her, even from an ocean away.

The captain calls out to Katsuo. The sailor jumps in surprise, almost dropping his clipboard. "Tell the examination board we have three more dropouts," the captain orders. He takes a deep inhale through his pipe as soon as he says it, and exhales just as the dropouts in question realise what he means.

Leorio's bravado crumbles away as his eyebrows rise to his hairline. "What do you mean?" he says quietly.

If her throat had closed up before, it's become nonexistent now. Tomoe stares at the captain in shock and horror, shoulders slumping as her jaw drops. She answered his question; why is he labelling her a dropout? Is it because she lied?

Katsuo is busily writing on the clipboard while the captain blinks slowly at Leorio. "You haven't figured it out yet?" The captain doesn't look exasperated, but he doesn't look amused either. "The Hunter Examination has already begun."

The reactions happen all at once. Kurapika and Leorio gawk at the captain and show their shock, and for a moment Tomoe thinks she might be doing the same. Her hands are shaking, probably out of concern, but her cheeks hurt like a huge strain is being put on her face. She feels like she can breathe again, only for the constricting sensation to move on to her chest—each heartbeat is hard and fast, almost as though the muscle is trying to break free of her ribcage.

It isn't till Leorio snaps at her that she realises her reaction isn't the same as theirs. She's not cautious or shocked; her lips are tugged up into a large grin, teeth bared and eyes wide, and her hands are shaking with that same excitement she'd felt arriving at Whale Island.

The exam has already started. She's taking it _right now_. This is the greatest news she's heard all day.

The ship rocks at the impact of another wave. Only the crew members seem to find trouble staying upright.

"There are as many Hunter wannabes as there are stars in the sky," the captain explains. Tomoe can feel a small squeak weeding its way up her throat. "The examiners don't have the time or resources to review them all. So they hire people like us—" he gestures to his crew and himself "—to trim the fat. I've already notified the board that everyone else on the ship had to withdraw."

No wonder they were called up. Still, it's a shame Conrad hadn't made it this time.

"If they can't handle a little storm, they'd stand no chance in the Hunter Examination's later stages. In other words," he says loudly, "you only proceed to the main exam if I pass you. So think carefully before you answer my question."

Tomoe wastes no time correcting herself. This is the pre-exam exam! She's got to be a little bit more honest, if he knows something because of Masao!

She steps forward and raises her hand. The grin is still on her face, and she hopes he doesn't think of her as a joke for smiling at a time like this. "I want to correct my answer," she announces. The captain just stares at her, waiting for her to continue. Leorio and Kurapika don't bother cutting in, remaining silent in their own spots. "Mortality is my reason for wanting to take the exam. I wasn't lying when I said I didn't really want to be a Hunter, and I really have wanted to take the exam because of my family.

"Recent events in the Folkvar household prompted me to take it early. Only my brother and I know I'm taking it, and I have no doubt we'll both be disowned for going against our family's wishes. But you see, captain, I could die in a week, a month, a year. Maybe even tomorrow. I don't have time to wait until I'm eighteen. So I figure I should at least do something I'm proud of before that happens, right?"

She's still smiling by the end of her explanation, but the unmistakable feeling of anxiety is in her chest now. She's being as honest as she can be without outright saying she's a dead girl walking, and it's her only hope to change the captain's mind.

The captain doesn't give her much of a response, though he does put the letter back in his coat. He looks to Leorio and Kurapika, then, and demands, "And you two?"

There's a short beat of silence before one of them speaks up. Tomoe is surprised to see that it's Kurapika who had gone first, his usual silence making her believe that he would wait till last to speak.

Her smile drops the moment he speaks. "I am the last survivor of the Kurta clan," he begins. The rest of his explanation falls on deaf ears for Tomoe, her eyes glued to him in horror.

Back when Ayaka had taken the Hunter exam, she'd held a great interest in exploring and learning about isolated clans and villages. She would study day and night with Hibiki about languages and cultures, often practicing the customs of the clans at their own dinner table to make sure she got it right. Ayaka had even gone as far as hassling Hibiki to see if a clan would be interested in having her stay for a month or so to learn from them, to become an ally with them.

The massacre of the Kurta clan hadn't gone unheard of in their home. Ayaka's plan had been to speak with the elders of the clan and ask to stay with them for a time once she came back from the Hunter exam; if all had gone well, she would have even explored other clans they knew of and befriended them as well. Hibiki had even exchanged a few letters with one of the residents of the clan, usually for the benefit of teaching Ayaka without endangering the clan before they trusted the family. Even while she was kept in her room and forbidden from doing anything strenuous, Tomoe would hear about Ayaka's excitement of meeting the clan when she came home.

They'd been massacred while Ayaka was taking the exam, though they never found this out until after she came home. The first thing Ayaka did when she came back was pack her bags and set off to find the clan, see if everything was okay. Letters had stopped coming shortly after she'd left for the exam, and Hibiki was too busy taking care of Kayo and Takeo to leave and investigate. Ayaka was home only a matter of weeks later, hysterical, and it was then that Hibiki forbade the rest of her children from talking about the Kurta clan.

Tomoe never learned much about the Kurta clan—she only knew that they had trouble living alongside people outside of their village—and at the time it didn't really bother her that they were gone. They weren't her business, and while it was a shame that the entire clan had been wiped out, it still didn't impact her the way it did Hibiki and Ayaka. Now, though, seeing the _sole survivor_ of that clan, she's beginning to rethink her initial reaction to the massacre.

He's been all alone for four years, the last of his people and the last of his family. Seeing his clan killed in such a way would have affected him more than it had Ayaka, left him unable to move on for years to come. You don't move on from your entire family dying over the course of a night easily—Ayaka is proof of that, and she still hasn't recovered from the sight despite hardly knowing the Kurta clan.

Kurapika isn't talking anymore, but Tomoe still can't stop herself from staring. Someone else is talking—she think it might be Leorio—but she can't say for sure. She's too caught up in thinking about how lonely Kurapika must have been. Part of her wonders if things would've been different if Ayaka had arrived at the clan earlier, if she'd seen him on his own. Part of her wonders if she should write home and reassure Ayaka that they're not all gone.

Kurapika looks over towards Leorio—and pauses when he catches sight of Tomoe staring at him. His brows quirk downwards for a second, almost in annoyance, and she's quick to turn her gaze away and pretend she hadn't just spent the last few minutes staring. There's a smug expression on Leorio's face, she finds, and she wonders if he's just said something that only he could be proud of.

"That's got to be the stupidest question I've ever heard, Leorio," Kurapika announces. He's no longer looking at the man, instead putting up his own version of smugness: Absolute calm and a refusal to look at anyone as equal.

Leorio snaps back at him pretty quickly, and it's only now that Tomoe realises he's still going on about being treated with respect. Of course, Kurapika ignores him again.

"Places accessible only to Hunters," he lists. "Information otherwise unobtainable. Actions otherwise impossible. There are more reasons than your brain could possibly handle."

As Kurapika lists off these things, Leorio pushes past Gon and Tomoe. He's turning red in the face, looking about ready to sock Kurapika in the jaw if he forgets to call him _Mr. Leorio_ one more time. Just as it looks as though steam is rising from his face, Gon jumps up high in front of Leorio's face and waves joyfully at him.

"Hey!" he cuts in, big smile on his face. "Why do you want to be a Hunter, Mr. Leorio?"

All at once the anger melts away, and Tomoe can't even hold back the sigh of relief that wheezes out of her. Leorio smirks, glad the attention is on him now, and stands up straight.

With a grin, he tells Gon, "I'll make it short: I want money."

Ah. That makes a lot of sense. Tomoe knows that being a Hunter can get you a lot of well paying jobs. Honestly, she thinks her family would be even more well known and rich if they'd all gone on to become Hunters.

Almost as though reliving his wildest dreams Leorio goes on, "Money can buy you anything! A big house; a nice car; good liquor!" He looks out a whoop at that last one, mimicking taking a shot of alcohol.

Tomoe can think of better things to spend money on—like a horse and insurance, maybe even some nice food. No, actually, definitely some nice food. If she had all of her allowance with her she'd be avoiding all types of bitter food until it ran out.

"Money can't buy you class, Leorio," Kurapika announces. Leorio breaks out of his daydreaming with an annoyed glare, and Tomoe can hardly hold in the snort of a laugh bubbling up her throat. She sinks into a squat and covers her mouth with her hands, shoulders shaking at the insult. Kurapika's right—she's living proof of that much—but the timing of his insult was just superb.

For a moment she thinks that Leorio will throw an insult back, continue their little spat, but instead he turns to face Kurapika with a glare. "Three times," he mutters. Leorio nods to the door, and says a little more clearly, "Step outside. I'll end the filthy Kurta bloodline, here and now."

He's walking to the door as Kurapika turns and demands he takes his statement back. Tomoe jumps to her feet in alarm, cutting Kurapika off mid-sentence with her own shout.

To say something so careless and heartless—she can't let him get away with being so cruel. It's what Ayaka would do, at least.

"You're going too far, Leorio," she shouts at him. "How can you just say that so carelessly? On what world is respect more important than a person's life and family?"

Leorio doesn't even stop to give her an answer, opening the door and skulking out with his hands in his pockets. Kurapika is shaking with anger behind her. He clicks his tongue and runs out after the taller man, ignoring the captain's protests for them to stop.

This is a mess. All they had to do was answer questions in order to take the exam, but now they're fighting to the death because Kurapika won't call Leorio _Mr. Leorio_? It's so dumb, but she can't exactly talk; she constantly challenged her mother whenever the woman would send her to her room, either by throwing one of her bells at her like a gauntlet or by declaring that her pride is on the line. But at least those never rose to this length—killing each other.

There's a slight tug on her sweater vest. Tomoe looks to her left, and spots Gon watching her with curious eyes.

"Do you think you can find Havenby on the map behind us?" he asks quietly. Tomoe blinks, confused. Why does he want to know at a time like this?

Regardless of why, she can't help but give him a weak smile and nod. "Sure," she says. It doesn't take long to find—Havenby is on one of the smaller islands on the map—and as soon as she points to the boot-shaped pair of islands towards the bottom of the map, Gon lets out a small sound of excitement.

She almost tries to find Whale Island for comparison, but is stopped when she hears one of the crew members call for the captain in a panic. Gon and Tomoe turn curiously in their direction—and then Tomoe is backing up against the wall in surprise.

It looks like a tornado made entirely of water, losing shape just as quickly as it picks up even more water. It sways like the ship does, but it looks to have more control than the Kaijinmaru has managed. She hears the crew member at the wheel calls it a waterspout, and he announces that the ship will sink if the two collide.

That doesn't sound fun.

Immediately the crew is assembling and getting ready to avoid the waterspout, and Gon and Tomoe are about ready to do the same. As Gon runs out to help, Tomoe calls out to him that she'll try get Leorio and Kurapika to help before she joins him. The captain takes the wheel while the rest of the crew files out. Tomoe pulls at the ribbon tucked under her collar, smoothly undoing its bow, and scoops her hair up into a ponytail as she runs out.

Rain hits her hard in the face, almost blinding her and making her slip on the floor. She wishes she'd put on her shoes, but there's no time to fix that problem now. Sailors pull at the ropes of the sails, lowering them as fast as they can—but it's not fast enough. She searches for the two males frantically, almost contemplating forgetting them, until finally she sees them just a short distance away from the mainsail. Kurapika is armed with what looks to be two wooden, stick-shaped weapons, while Leorio stands with his hands in his pockets and glares at the blond.

Tomoe runs over, almost slipping as she comes to a stop between them, and does her best to shout to them over the rain and the wind. Water crashes onto the ship, almost pushing her off of her feet.

"There's no time for a fight now!" she shouts at the top of her lungs. "The whole ship will go sink if we don't get the sails down!"

Leorio draws a pocketknife from his jacket, demanding Tomoe get out of the way. She scowls at him, but it soon falls away when she turns for Kurapika. The waterspout is right behind the blond, so close to the ship that it's almost laughable. There's no point in convincing them when they refuse to back down.

A scream rings out from the crew, followed by Gon calling for Katsuo. Alarmed, Tomoe turns on her heel and tries to see what's wrong. Just as she's about to step away from the two applicants, a body crashes into her. For a second she thinks she may be able to steady the two of them—keep them from falling overboard and get back to the mainsail—but the lack of wood beneath her feet soon pushes that hope out of her mind. She feels weightless and she and Katsuo are flung overboard, her attempt to grab the rail failing as Kurapika and Leorio run after them. She feels almost bitter that they choose _now_ to put aside their fight.

Katsuo clings to her while she keeps one arm around him, the other reaching out towards the ship. They've got to throw something out to catch them if they end up in the water, right? She's not sure how well she'd be able to keep the two of them afloat, struggling enough in calm waters just to doggy paddle.

Kurapika and Leorio are dangling from the rail, watching in mixtures of horror and disappointment, and for a brief second she wonders if this counts as Masao getting to say "I told you so". She should've just left Kurapika and Leorio to their fight. At least then she might have been able to catch Katsuo without falling off with him.

A flurry of green crosses her vision, and then all of a sudden two hands are clamping down on her wrist. Tomoe panics at the contact, instinctively tightens her grip on Katsuo, and then the next thing she knows she's submerged.

It feels like an eternity before she's pulled up and given a gulp of air, held in a pseudo hug by her saviour in an attempt to keep her above the water. Bit by bit they're pulled back onto the ship, until finally Tomoe and Katsuo are thrown back on board with Gon hovering over them. Crew members are crowding around them, almost suffocating them as they try to cough up whatever water they'd swallowed; just over their heads she can see the waterspout disappearing into the distance, the ship finally able to clear its path and escape the storm.

God, this is exhausting. But at least she's not dead yet.


	5. 05

_**god this is half an episode's length of words and it's almost as long as the last chapter**_

 **hope you guys enjoy the chapter, at least!**

* * *

It's a bit difficult to keep track of what happens after the storm clears. She knows Gon leaves their side with Kurapika and Leorio, leaving Katsuo and Tomoe to catch their breaths and recover from the short dip they'd taken. She really can't tell if it's just her or the boat itself, but Tomoe swears she can see the clouds spinning in circles as she stares up at the slowly clearing sky. She's a little short of breath, probably from the sudden submergence, and her chest prickles ever so slightly with each inhale.

It could be nothing, she tells herself once the prickling goes away. She's had episodes before, and none of them are close to what she's feeling now.

A hand grasps her own, just as wet and cold, and forces her attention to turn to her left. Katsuo is sitting up, looking beside himself as he stares down at her while his other hand joins hers.

"I'm so sorry for taking you overboard with me," he babbles. He looks to be on the verge of tears, like he can't believe he'd almost dragged her into the depths with him. But he sort of didn't—he just bumped into her, and Tomoe's own distractions were what made the both of them actually fall.

"It's fine," she wheezes. Her voice is hoarse, a surprise to hear as she sits up quickly and clears her throat. When she speaks again, her voice is clear and easy to understand. "I wasn't paying attention. If I was, I probably would've caught you before you fell."

Katsuo's eyes start to water as he thanks her with a squeak. Before so much as another word can be said, he's jumping to his feet and rushing over to where Gon had been dragged off to. The crowd around Tomoe is starting to disappear, returning to their duties. There's just a little bit more breathing room for her now, more space to properly regain herself.

She doesn't bother standing up as she pulls her ribbon from her hair. The black silk drops onto her lap with a slick flop, clinging to her tights as she frowns down at it. She bunches up her hair and does her best to wring any water out of it, her curls catching on her fingers and yanking at her scalp painfully. Salt water probably isn't good for hair like hers, she thinks. It's bad enough that it frizzes during humid weather. A large puddle of water is pooling next to her with each tight twist of her hair, creeping towards her skirt.

Just as she starts pulling off the sweater vest to wring it out as well, she hears a loud cheer come from further down the ship. The material of the sweater feels cloggy and heavy with the water soaked into it, and she decides it may need to dry in the sun for a while before she can even put it back on again. She twists it tightly as her eyes wander towards the source of the cheer—where she sees Gon, Kurapika and Leorio looking content with themselves.

Tomoe wrings the sweater like a neck. _Of course_ they get along now that someone's been put in peril. The water lands on her skirt, and it's with a heavy sigh that she decides it needs to dry as well. At least her shirt and tights will be enough to keep her decent, and they dry a lot quicker than the sweater and skirt do in any case.

This exam is turning out interesting, at least. She's already faced a waterspout, lived to tell the tale. Throw in the daring, accidental rescue, and it's a pretty nice recipe for one of Masao's stories. She wonders if he'd accept a letter from her detailing such an event, if it'll inspire him in some way.

"Tomoe!"

She blinks in surprise, almost dropping her sweater as she flicks it out. Hard footsteps, a telltale of sound of running, stampede towards her. When they skid to a halt a small distance away from her, she's met with the wide-eyed gaze of Gon.

He practically sinks into a sitting position beside her, huge grin on his face as he declares, "The captain is taking us to the exam site!"

The gasp tears itself out of Tomoe's throat before she can stop herself. Tomoe giggles with excitement as she jumps to her feet and cheers, completely ignoring the two older males as they stride over to the duo's sides. Her annoyance at them has been forgotten for the moment, the reminder that the exam is still continuing for them taking over completely. Tomoe almost picks up Gon and whirls him around, but just barely holds herself back when she remembers the sweater in her hands.

She doesn't waste any time giving her skirt the same treatment, wringing it out while Kurapika and Leorio talk with Gon some more. Gon looks absolutely elated to have more friends to converse with, and Tomoe can't help but share the sentiment a little. Kurapika is actually willing to talk to them now, letting down his guard and putting away his book in favour of getting to know his new peers. Leorio isn't acting as standoffish, either; instead, he's being modest and acting almost embarrassed over his earlier behaviour.

Tomoe ties her hair back up into a ponytail with the ribbon, frowning when she feels water drip onto her neck after she tightens the bow. She hopes her bag and shoes are in a better state than she is, though as far as she knows she'd left them in the bridge. Her skirt and sweater are draped over her forearm as she begins to finally pay attention to trio beside her. She'll have to find somewhere safe to hang these before they reach Dolle Harbour, though it shouldn't be too hard with all this open air and wind.

A hand is thrust in her direction, palm open and waiting for her response. Tomoe stares at it—at the white sleeve attached to it—before she follows it up to the body. To her amazement, it's Kurapika making the move of greeting towards her. The relaxed smile he'd worn earlier is on his face, brows furrowed almost in apology.

When she hesitates to take the hand, instead fiddling with her sweater, Kurapika says, "I apologise for my earlier behaviour. Allow me to introduce myself formally."

Tomoe waves a hand—and then tightly grabs his own outstretched hand. "No need, no need!" she insists. "I'm pretty annoying when I want to be, so I knew where you were coming from with the cold shoulder."

He nods once, shakes her hand, and then lowers his own. Gon moves to Tomoe's side and picks at her sweater, frowning at it. He looks like he's pondering something, though Tomoe can't be entirely sure that it's to do with her clothes.

Kurapika takes Gon's silence as a chance to continue on, going through with his formal introduction.

"As you already know, I am Kurapika," he says. "And if I'm correct in my assumption, you're Tomoe Folkvar—a member of the mercenary family in Havenby."

She'd almost compliment his observation skills, if Tomoe hadn't said half of the assumption in front of him earlier. Tomoe grins at him, doing her best to be polite with her response.

"The Folkvar family hasn't done mercenary work for a while," she says. "We're more bodyguards for hire. Makes it easier to keep a good reputation with customers and the city we live near."

Gon's fiddling around with his pants, looking to be searching his pockets. Tomoe almost asks him what he's doing, but is stopped by Leorio as he leans down and stares at her with wide eyes. The animosity he'd directed at her only hours earlier seems to have vanished altogether—like siblings who fought, but can't stay mad at each other.

"So you're from a family of big shots?" He raises a brow at her.

"Nah." Tomoe keeps glancing between Gon and Leorio, struggling to focus on one at a time. "I mean, we've got a big enough name that some assassins and mob bosses know about us. But we're not, y'know, _big_ —Gon, I can't take it anymore." Gon looks up at her, having finally found what he was looking for. It's a small, folded piece of paper, though the side facing him looks to have a picture on it. A photo? "What are you doing?"

Gon holds out the maybe-photo and looks between it and Tomoe, brows furrowed and mouth drawn into a pout. He looks like he's doing his best to solve a really hard problem, but is having no luck whatsoever as he continues to burn holes into the paper with his gaze.

After a good half-minute of silence and staring, Gon exhales loudly and hands the photo to Tomoe. "It's hard to tell," he admits vaguely. She takes the photo from him carefully, confused as to what he means.

A range of emotions hit Tomoe all at once when she actually looks at the photo. She's astonished that something like this had come into Gon's possession, or that a photo like this was even still floating around. All six of them, bunched together as a group like close friends, and Tomoe stands off to the far right. Just a small distance away from her is Masao, and opposite them are Ayaka and Kayo. In the middle, seated in a chair, are Hibiki and the then-infant Takeo.

This photo was taken when she was twelve. Tomoe can't help but admit she almost didn't recognise herself in the image.

She stares at the photo in stunned silence, barely even able to ask Gon where he got it from. Had someone given it to him? Had be just happened upon it before boarding the Kaijinmaru?

The boy in question puts his hands on his hips, frown still on his face as he continues to try and figure out the mystery he'd tacked onto the photo. "I caught it while I was up on the mast," he admits. "It's got Folkvar written on the back, but the only person who could be you looks really different."

Tomoe hums in agreement. "I sure do."

There's every possibility that this is the piece of paper that had flown out of her grasp earlier today. It'd make a lot of sense for Masao to stick a family photo in the watch he'd given her. What was it he'd said? "So you don't forget us"? She chews at her lip as a bitter feeling rises in her chest. Way to rub salt in the wound, Masao.

Instead of worrying Gon further with it, she folds the photo back into its quartered square and hands it back to him with a grin. "Mind holding on to it for me? I don't think I'll have time to look for my watch and squeeze it back inside," she lies. "Besides, you probably don't recognise me because I'm older. That picture was taken when I was twelve, after all."

Understanding flickers in his expression. "Oh!" he marvels. "S—Sorry. I forgot you're older than you look."

She'll take that as a compliment.

"Anyway!" she blurts out. Tomoe flicks her skirt and sweater one last time as she moves to walk past Kurapika and Leorio. The move aside, leaving a path for her to follow as she spins on her feet. "I'm gonna get my violin and practice till we get to Dolle Harbour. I'll see you guys later!"

* * *

If there's one thing she can say about Dolle Harbour, it's that it's definitely a lot more lively than even Whale Island. People everywhere, almost all of them applicants for the Hunter exam, breezing past one another as though they're in the hurry of their lives. Tomoe almost can't believe how claustrophobic it feels once she steps off of the Kaijinmaru, violin case held in one hand and knapsack slung over her shoulder.

She's had to clear some space in her knapsack to fit the now dry sweater and skirt; despite her best efforts to dry off as soon as possible, Tomoe's shirt and tights are still rather damp—as is her hair. The only thing dry on her is her sneakers, which feel like heaven on her cold feet.

Kurapika and Leorio had been quick to explore a little when the ship arrived, while Gon decided to hang back and talk with the captain. This left Tomoe to her own devices, and as of this very moment she finds herself torn. Does she get a snack, or does she head for the bus? Look at the map ahead of her, or wander through the stores nearby? There's just so much to do, and so little time before the bus for Zaban City leaves.

One thing is for sure, Tomoe uses what little Jenny she has in her knapsack to buy a snack from a nearby vendor. If people weren't so eager to get on the bus, this particular vendor would make a killing in the potato-wrapped-in-bacon-on-a-stick business. Tomoe munches on the free sample offered to her happily, tastebuds rejoicing at the prospect of greasy, pan-fried meat after almost a week with fruit and vegetables.

"These are really good!" she says, mouth still half-full of bacon and potato. The old man at the fryer behind the young lady serving her throws a thumbs-up over his shoulder. "How on earth do you get it so juicy and soft?"

The lady at the front—taller than Tomoe, but most likely the same age—winks at her. "You're heading for the Hunter exam, right?" she asks. Tomoe nods as she swallows the rest of the food. "Well, I might just be able to give you a few tips, since some of the exam stages take place where you get time to cook—or so I hear from some of the applicants who try each year."

What starts as a simple exchange of Jenny for food turns into a step by step verbal lesson on how to make sure she doesn't screw up the snack's cooking process. Tomoe doesn't understand half of the terms she uses—Hibiki never let her children in the kitchen, heaven _forbid_!—but she still commits it to memory as best she can and nods happily along to the instructions. The young lady wishes Tomoe luck with the exam when she finishes her explanation.

Mood lifted from the dull, somewhat emotional final stretch of the trip, Tomoe blows the rest of her Jenny on four sticks of the snack. She keeps one balanced between her teeth while the other three are squeezed between the fingers of her free hand, and then Tomoe is jogging away from the vendor with a cheerful goodbye.

It may as well be a good time to look at the map she'd seen earlier, she thinks. Who knows how far away Zaban City is from Dolle Harbour—maybe it'll take longer than she'd enjoy to sit around waiting for, after all. It was boring enough on the Kaijinmaru with nothing to do. A bus would be even worse.

The map isn't far from the vendor—in fact, it's only a good twenty or so feet away. But it's still far enough that Tomoe almost doesn't recognise the two individuals staring at the map with their arms crossed in front of their chests. Tomoe slows her pace, cautious of who they might be, but soon finds herself picking up her jog again when she sees a small bundle of green running to their sides.

Gon stops between what must be Leorio and Kurapika, telling them something with a large gesture to an area on one side of the map. It must be pretty interesting, Tomoe thinks; she does her best to reach them before they leave for the bus, hoping to see what the hubbub is.

The moment she stops by Leorio's side, the tall man looks down at her in surprise and shoves his hands in his pockets.

"Oh, there you are," he observes. "Did you get us snacks before meeting us?"

Tomoe freezes on the spot. She's suddenly all too aware of the perfect number of snacks she has to _share_.

Ever so slowly, talking around the stick, she says, "Yes."

It pains her to give away such lovely food, but it'd be even more painful if she just ate them all after saying it was all for her. They each munch on their own stick as Gon fills Tomoe in on their conversation so far, drawing her attention to the large image of a tree on the map. It's in the opposite direction of Zaban City, a curious direction to want to go when the bus leaves _today_.

"What makes you want to go there?" she asks Gon. Gon chews thoughtfully on his bacon as he points back to the Kaijinmaru—which is now departing once more, its passengers in the harbour and seeing it off.

"The captain said it's a shortcut," Gon says innocently. Curiosity pricks at Tomoe's spine. How strange that the captain seems to be giving them pointers now, when they already have directions for the exam site.

Tomoe frowns around a chunk of potato. Somehow, despite her efforts to do this on her own, her old lessons with Hibiki ring through her mind. They weren't big lessons like the combat training Airi and the others taught—rather "mindfulness exercises", as Hibiki would call them. Tomoe can list off a few from the top of her head, some of them useful in everyday life: Pride is the weakness of every individual. Your mind is a lake, each thought a stone causing a ripple. The cover is not the only misleading thing about a book; oftentimes it is the blurb that spreads misconception.

That one seems to fit in rather well with this situation—that nothing seems to be looking as clear is it should on a surface level. Tomoe watches the map carefully as Leorio and Kurapika question Gon about the captain's request. It's hard to understand her mother's lessons sometimes, but like Gon's simple explanations and expressions of things, it's easy enough for Tomoe to put it on a level even she can understand. She uses it in a literal sense, defining the situation or person as the book itself.

This book is titled, _Hunter Exam_.

She looks between the males beside her as she blocks out their voices. What would be on the cover, she wonders? The Kaijinmaru? No, the Kaijinmaru isn't enough of a contributor outside of shaving the bulk of applicants down. The map? No, Dolle Harbour is just a destination within the book, an interlude for the characters.

It seems she may be running out of time to figure out what it could be—the cedar tree or the bus. Leorio is declaring loudly that he's going to take the bus, that it'll leave soon, while Kurapika decides to follow Gon and see where the captain's direction leads.

Kurapika's words trigger another thought in her, a reminder that Dolle Harbour is a location—and the character that led them there is the _captain_. The captain is part of the narrative, not the blurb. Which means his directions may just be stronger than the note in Leorio's hand, the instructions all applicants had been told.

God, of course. Why didn't she notice sooner? All of the applicants were given a brief instruction—a _blurb_. A misleading one, at that.

She doesn't waste time catching up with Kurapika and Gon. Throwing her bare stick into a nearby bin, Tomoe practically hops by Gon's side while he and Kurapika look into the distance to see just how far they need to travel.

Kurapika takes notice of her when Gon cheers at Tomoe's decision to join them. She swings her violin case around with a small smile on her face, and remains quiet as they continue to talk. Attention doesn't land on her until the buildings start to thin out and merge with the field outside of the harbour.

It's Gon who decides to include Tomoe into the conversation, changing the topic with curious eyes. "What's it like with your family?" he asks. That innocent tone is in his voice again, almost like he doesn't realise how awkward such a question could be. Tomoe glances warily at Kurapika, uncertain if the topic of family is welcome around him, but the blond only replies with a wave of his hand.

"Don't mind me," he tells her plainly. "My grudge isn't towards those who are still fortunate enough to have their families. Besides," he adds, this time in a lighter tone, "I am curious about how a family like yours operates."

She chews at her lip. If she can help it, she'd rather avoid talking too much about her family. It's not like knowing who she is will get her special attention or anything. She just doesn't want to get homesick and suddenly regret making such a reckless decision because of her pride.

"Um," she starts, and she really isn't sure where to continue. The violin case hits her shin ever so lightly, bouncing off of her leg with a silent bang. "W—Well, we learn how to play instruments."

Gon nods while Kurapika brings a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "You know the violin and your brother knows piano," he recalls. "What do the others play?"

It takes a few seconds to clearly remember what each of them has taken to over the past few years. She's not even entirely sure on what it is Takeo plays, but she does remember Ayaka and Kayo's instruments. "Ayaka plays the harp—she's really good at it," Tomoe says. "And Kayo plays the trumpet. She's... not as good. I don't think I know what Takeo plays, but I think Masao teaches him piano from time to time."

Gon lets out an excited sound. "You're like a band!" he cheers.

"More like a budding orchestra," Kurapika corrects him.

The conversation actually feels rather light, she notes. It's not so much the prodding she'd expected—what kind of training do bodyguards go through; has anyone ever become a Hunter; et cetera, et cetera. It's more a casual conversation about what the family itself is like. It's... nicer than she expected.

Tomoe almost feels confident enough to add more, to talk about Folkvar Estate and her adventures in it. That confidence soon shrinks back into a bud, though, when she hears Leorio calling for them and telling them to slow down while he catches up.

Conversation becomes stagnant after that. They talk more about the present than anything—like why Leorio had joined them, what some of the buildings they pass remind them of—before they finally notice the considerable distance covered by their journey. Time barely even feels like it's passing as they slowly make their ways to the cedar tree, though Tomoe can't help but feel something isn't quite right.

Ever since Leorio joined up with them again, there's been an uneasy feeling in the back of her neck. It's not from Leorio himself—she actually enjoys having him with them again (not that she'd admit it aloud)—but it's definitely started after he caught up. Tomoe's not as good as her siblings at sensing when people are around. She's never really had the training for it. But this feeling makes her wary; wary enough to wonder if maybe this is what Masao and Ayaka feel when they sense someone following them.

She shrugs it off for the most part, enjoying their walk as much as possible, before finally it gets too great to ignore. They wander into another town that practically looks abandoned, and this is when the feeling grows. It's like a buzzing now, hard to ignore and shoo away, and Tomoe looks around cautiously at the empty buildings as Leorio remarks that the town looks creepy.

They come to a stop just beside what looks to have been an apartment complex, once upon a time. Tomoe rubs the back of her neck as she glances around at the thin road ahead, at the buildings lining each side.

"I feel a little uneasy," she confesses. Leorio makes a sound of agreement, creeping closer to her like he can hide behind her small stature. She almost wants to snap at him that she can't hide all six and a half feet of him, no matter how hard he tries.

"The last town had people..." Kurapika notes softly. His sentence hangs in the air as the wind blows lightly against their faces.

"But this place is empty," Leorio finishes.

Gon barely even looks at them as he shakes his head. In that innocent tone Tomoe has come to associate with him, Gon says, "There's plenty of people here."

What a confusing thing to say, she thinks. She inches closer to Leorio, suddenly considering the different possibilities Gon may mean. Could he mean the impression of the town? People further within? _Ghosts_? She hopes it's not ghosts; they're a problem she can't hit or taunt her way around, and all the scary stories she'd read as a child are hard to shake at a time like this.

"Where?" Tomoe mutters.

Almost as though answering her question, the doors to the apartment complex burst open with a loud bang. Tomoe jumps in surprise, almost falling to her behind (though having Leorio attempt to hide behind her makes it a lot easier to stop herself from crashing to the ground). It feels almost to stunning to be real, watching with wide eyes as a small wooden stage is dragged out of the building. She counts the people by their bright hair—three, seven, ten—and finally lets her gaze rest on the old woman sitting in the middle of it all.

The woman doesn't look disturbed in the slightest, almost as though this is as routine for her as brushing one's teeth before bed. The stage itself, as well as the people who stand either side of it, block their path further into the town. One part of Tomoe takes note that the uneasy feeling has lessened, like the emergence of people has set her mind at ease, while another part of her starts to get excited.

Is this another exam test? If so, what kind of test will it be?

Tomoe stands up properly again, taking in the appearances of the masked people around the old woman. The instruments and the crow must have something to do with this test; though what, she can't quite tell yet. Maybe they have to serenade to the bird? Make it sing along with them? It's a good thing she brought her violin, if that's the case.

There's silence for a good few seconds, leaving the applicants to glance uncertainly at each other. Of them all, Leorio looks to be the most stunned—even muttering the same word under his breath each time the old woman looks to mumble it herself.

Finally, with an almighty screech, the old woman declares the test to be an "exciting two-choice quiz". Tomoe can hardly stop her shoulders from slumping as obviously as they do.

The masked individuals play their instruments enthusiastically. The crow caws along to the beat, and the four applicants are left staring in disbelief at the spectacle. The frown that creeps its way onto Tomoe's face betrays every ounce of disappointment she feels right now.

"You're joking," she complains. Gon looks up to her, dazed expression still on his face, but doesn't make much comment on her complaint.

The old woman clears her throat, effectively dismissing Tomoe's dull tone. Tomoe almost wonders how common a reaction like her own is on this trail. The woman folds her hands under her chin and leans forward; her eyes don't open very far, and for a second Tomoe actually thinks they're still shut when she starts to speak.

"You kids are heading for the tree on the hill, correct?" It's phrased as a question, but the way she says it sounds almost like a statement. Alright, Tomoe thinks; definitely another test. When none of them answer the woman explains, "To reach the tree, you must pass through this town. I shall be administering a single-question quiz."

Leorio jumps at the declaration, clearly disliking the idea of actually being _tested_ in this _test_ as much as Tomoe does. He tries to ask what's going on, but the woman ignores him. "You will have five seconds to state your answer," she goes on. "Give the wrong answer, and you'll be disqualified. You'll have to give up on this year's Hunter Examination."

That makes Tomoe protest loudly. "D—Do we all share the one answer?" she blurts out. "What if one of these guys gets it wrong? Do I have to share the forfeit?"

"Hey, hey!" Leorio doesn't seem to like her insinuation. "Who says one of us gets it wrong? I'll have you know I'm a quiz master! You could be the one who gets it wrong and disqualifies the rest of us!"

She gasps, offended. "I'll have _you_ know, sir, that _I_ am knowledgeable in my own right—"

"I doubt this is going to be a music quiz!" His face is turning red. Hers probably is too, with how hot it feels as she argues with him.

"Well I doubt this is going to be a quiz on dirty magazines, either—"

" _Enough_ , both of you!" Kurapika whirls on his heel to face them both. Leorio and Tomoe turn their glares to him, unwilling to back down just yet. "We're all at an equal risk of being disqualified. There's no point in throwing blame yet."

"Yet," Tomoe mimics with a pout. He responds with only an exasperated furrow of his brows, demanding that she not argue further with him. With a pout, Tomoe crosses her arms in front of her chest and turns away from the woman and her stage. "Fine," she huffs.

The old woman continues on with her explanation, but for the most part Tomoe ignores her. This is worse than having the captain kick them off the ship for not answering a question honestly. This actually relies on them knowing something—and if it's just two choices, it's probably something only a genius would know!

She keeps her eyes glued to the path behind them, to the end of the street they'd turned from. This feels so stupid. Sure, it was implied in the word "test" that they'd be tested. But she didn't think it'd be a literal test. And she's sharing her answer with three others? That's definitely a recipe for disaster.

The exact nature of the quiz is still being discussed as Tomoe takes notice of movement coming from around the corner. The remainder of her uneasy feeling starts to grow, almost like a warning, as she stares long and hard at the figure. She doesn't remember seeing someone like this on their way through, even when they'd stopped and looked around at other towns along the way. She frowns, thoughtful.

He gets closer to them, and his first greeting is a demand that the four of them hurry up and take the quiz. He's got some kind of cocky expression on his face, almost like he's certain he's going to pass this quiz regardless of what the question is; as he strides past Tomoe without so much as a glance at her, the uneasy feeling follows him and forces her attention to go over her shoulder.

Maybe the uneasiness really had been Tomoe's own way of sensing another's presence. Gon even says that the dark-haired man had been following them from the port, though the fact that none of them had spotted him leaves Tomoe to wonder why he'd hide from them. Maybe that's where the uneasiness comes in—he didn't want to be spotted because his reasons for following weren't as friendly as everyone else's.

The old woman becomes impatient and demands to know who will go first, and it's the dark-haired man who volunteers. Tomoe doesn't protest, and Leorio even seems welcoming of the man's eagerness. He must think it's a good way to see what kind of quiz they'd be facing, which even Tomoe will admit is a good idea. The quiz is still stupid, though.

They shuffle away from the stage as a small podium is brought over to the man. The big bulb on the top of it makes Tomoe wonder if it's meant to be some kind of buzzer—like on those game shows she used to watch when she was bored. Sheesh, this old lady must have a thing for theatrics and immersing herself in the quiz vibes.

Once they're a good distance away, Tomoe leans closer to Kurapika and whispers, "Something doesn't feel right with him."

Kurapika looks to her curiously. "How so?"

"Why'd he hang so far back if he followed us? Why'd he hide till now?" She frowns as the man inspects the podium. "I can't tell if it's a hunch or just me being cautious."

It's not hard to tell what it is, actually. Tomoe knows a hunch when she feels one, and it's no coincidence that the unease upon discovering him hadn't disappeared like it had with the old woman and her group. The guy's probably up to something.

Kurapika nods slightly, doing his best not to be noticed. "Hold on to the feeling," he advises. "One can never be too careful with the Hunter exam."

The old woman clears her throat, demanding the attention of everyone. Tomoe leans away from Kurapika as she looks back to the stage, expression bored and disinterested. Time to see what kind of stellar question she has for the dark-haired man.

She squints at the man as she recites, "Villains have captured your mother and your lover. You can only save one. Select one for your mother, two for your lover. You have five seconds to state your answer."

Leorio practically voices her thoughts out loud—that this is a rigged quiz. A better thing to call it would be an impossible riddle, Tomoe thinks; the questions may as well be tricks, and either decisions results in losing a loved one.

Within a second of hearing the question, the dark-haired man pounds his fist on the bulb. A light ringing sound fills the area, and even Tomoe rolls her eyes at the attention to detail this old lady went through with her game show design.

"The answer is one," the man declares. The mother.

"And why do you say that?" the old woman goes on.

He shrugs like it's the most obvious answer in the world. "Because you can't replace your mother—but you can always find another lover."

Tomoe scoffs. "You mustn't have actually loved your lover, if you think you can replace them so easily," she says loudly. The man looks over his shoulder at her and smirks, almost as though daring her to give her input again. She doesn't, instead turning her attention to Gon when he gasps and agrees with her statement. Gon remarks that the quiz really is hard, if how much you love someone is considered.

The old woman sits silently for a few seconds, staring at the dark-haired man in contemplation. Tomoe almost hopes that she declares his answer wrong, throw his cockiness back in his face, but to her dismay the old woman points her thumb over her shoulder.

"You may pass," she says simply.

Tomoe essentially drops her violin case as she stares at the woman in disbelief.

The dark-haired man smirks back at the group again, clearly pleased with himself as he tells them that they only need to say what the old woman wants to hear. As he starts running past the wooden stage, ignoring Leorio as the taller man yells about the impossible nature of the quiz, Tomoe feels a tug on her sleeve.

Gon's holding her violin, now picked up from the ground and safe in his arms. She blinks at him, wondering what he'd want at a time like this.

"What answer would you have gone with?" he asks her quietly. Just between the two of them—hoping not to interrupt Leorio's rant.

Tome inhales deeply and shrugs. "Well," she sighs, "it's hard to answer a hypothetical situation I can't fathom happening. I don't see myself having a lover, and Mama is... not the type of be captured easily. So I can't really give an answer. It'd be impossible to pick one."

He hums slowly and clutches the violin tighter to his chest. "What would you have chosen?" Tomoe asks him.

"I don't know either," Gon confesses. "Maybe I'll know with our question."

When none of them pay attention to Leorio, who now demands their help disagreeing alongside him, he loudly declares that he's going to find a different route. Tomoe watches as he marches only a few feet away from the stage, only to come to a halt when the old woman addresses Leorio directly.

"Refuse to take the quiz," she calls to him, "and you're disqualified."

His face starts turning red again as he gestures wildly to her. Tomoe's surprised he isn't using explicit gestures yet. Maybe he's a gentleman underneath the hot-headed, perverted exterior. Or maybe he's not at the line between getting angry and getting rude yet.

"That's ridiculous!" he screeches. Tomoe flinches at his tone, the man standing too close for her to bear listening to it. "Different people expect different answers! There's no right answer!"

Kurapika's head shoots up at the statement, his eyes growing to the size of saucers as he mutters something under his breath. Tomoe watches him curiously; did something Leorio say make him realise something? Or has he figured out the quiz? She eagerly leans towards him, waiting to hear if he'll share his revelation.

Just as Kurapika turns to Leorio and calls the older man's name, the old woman jumps from her seat and yells, "Enough out of you! Say anything but the answer, and you're disqualified!"

Tomoe clicks her tongue loudly. Damn, just when something might've been going their way. She wonders if the old woman knew what Kurapika was on to, if she knew he'd figured out something important.

The small rubber horn squeaks once. The old woman sits herself back down and regards the group calmly. "Your son and daughter have been kidnapped," she recites. "You can only rescue one of them. Select one for son, two for daughter."

She scrunches up her face in distaste at the question. Damn it, Tomoe thinks; she's never going to have kids. How on earth can she make a proper judgement for this question when she knows it'll never happen?

Leorio is grinding his teeth behind her, practically fuming at the question. At first Tomoe thinks he's just stewing over his displeasure silently, refusing to provide an answer in rebellion, but it soon becomes apparent that he has something else in mind. She watches as he walks away from the group, towards the small barrels and sticks by the apartment complex doors. The old lady calls out the first second of their countdown. Leorio picks up a long, sturdy stick.

He's not going to do what she thinks he's going to, is he? He can't possibly be thinking of attacking the woman. That'll just get them nowhere!

She continues to count. Leorio swings the stick in practice. Tomoe drops her knapsack to the ground behind Gon.

This is the second time Leorio's tried starting a fight with someone he barely knows. Tomoe hadn't been able to stop the last one, hadn't been able to prevent herself and Katsuo from flying overboard in time, but she's more than certain she can try stop him now.

But what if she can't? Leorio's a whole foot taller than her, and his shoulders are broad enough that they almost make him look bulky. She can barely lift Katsuo's weight while they're in the water—how will she stop Leorio when he stampedes his way over to the old woman?

Carefully, she reaches down into her knapsack and pulls out her pocket knife. It feels light in her hand, the silver grip cold and smooth. She flicks her wrist as she stands up straight again; the blade slides out smoothly, clean surface almost reflecting the sun in her eyes.

Maybe she can get ahead of Leorio and just threaten him. Coax him into picking his fight with someone else. He'd probably end up whacking her with the stick instead, though, and she really doesn't need a concussion right now. But it's the only option she may have, if he does end up rushing the old woman.

The final few seconds are announced, each one painstakingly slow as they're called to the group. When she finishes, the old woman yells obnoxiously, " _Buzz_! Time's up."

Leorio pounces.

As quick as a whip, Tomoe sprints past Gon and the podium—to just a short distance away from the stage, where she thinks Leorio will land. If she can push him back far enough so he can't hit the woman, she may be able to calm him. Tomoe turns her back to the taller man, only briefly seeing Kurapika come to a stop in front of her with his wooden swords drawn—and then she shoving back with a silent prayer she collides with Leorio, arm rising with the blade of the knife aimed for his neck.

The dust clears within seconds. Feathers from the startled crow land on the stage's floor, and for a split second the world seems to spin.

When it stops, Tomoe becomes very aware of how her—and Kurapika's—attempt ended. She can definitely feel Leorio's shoulders near her arm, his own arms above either side of her head and his stick held back by Kurapika's wooden swords. Tomoe's arm shakes as it holds the knife up. The feeling of something small dropping onto her head startles her, delivering the fear that she'd accidentally stabbed him instead of just _threatened_ him; a cautious glance up, however, shows no signs of blood.

Instead, Leorio glares down at the two shorter teens as sweat drips down his face. He's been made well aware of just how easily they'll let him attack the woman.

Leorio looks between the two and growls, "What do you think you're doing?"

"What do—" Tomoe smacks her head back against his chest as hard as she can. "What do you think _you're_ doing?"

Kurapika pushes back against the stick violently, shaking it from Leorio's grip. It falls to the ground, just a short distance from the silent Gon. "You need to calm down, Leorio," Kurapika stresses.

Leorio takes a step back, offended by Kurapika's demand. The lack of force holding Tomoe up causes her to tip backwards, and in a desperate attempt to stop from hitting the ground she grasps Leorio's tie and dangles hazardously from it. The man is almost dragged down with her, and she's quick to remove the knife from his throat and drop it to the ground.

"What do you mean, 'calm down'?" Leorio snaps, his voice sounding strained. Tomoe thinks it's because she's almost strangling him, holding onto his tie like this. "How am I supposed to calm down?"

"You'll waste our correct response!" Kurapika yells back.

That... was not something Tomoe expected to hear. She lets go of Leorio's tie in surprise, flopping to the ground gracelessly as the man stumbles backwards. As she crawls to her feet again, she blubbers, "Response?"

Kurapika sighs. It's the kind of sigh Masao would make at her when she missed the point of something. "Silence was the correct response," he explains. "Leorio hit the nail on the head when he said there's no correct answer. This quiz has no correct response, and we're only allowed to say one or two. Saying nothing was the only way to answer correctly."

She whines up at him. Was she seriously the only one more concerned about getting Leorio to stop fighting, rather than preserving their answer? Tomoe picks up her pocket knife and sighs deeply. This is just exhausting.

Leorio pushes past her and starts demanding answers, which Kurapika gives accordingly. He seems to have it all figured out, and Tomoe no longer sees a need to keep an eye on the taller man. She wanders back over to Gon and packs the knife back in the knapsack. She hears the rattling of doors and the old woman's voice, but Tomoe pays very little attention—instead, she glances up at Gon as she remains kneeling down, knapsack fastened and packed once more.

The boy hasn't said a thing since their question was asked. He's still got her violin in his arms, face dropped into a frown as he stares at the ground with an unwavering gaze. It's a little concerning, seeing a cheerful boy pull such an expression.

She stands up beside him and cautiously clears her throat. Gon doesn't respond.

"G—Gon?" she says.

Without warning, Gon exhales loudly and drops to his knees. The violin rattles inside its case, but Tomoe is more surprised by the sudden reaction from Gon than anything. His thoughtful frown melts away into an almost guilty pout, his gaze travelling up to the sky.

"It's no use," he remarks. "I can't think of an answer." He looks over at Tomoe, once again surprisingly the girl. "Can you?"

She stares at him in bewilderment. Had he not been paying attention for the past few minutes?

Small amounts of laughter come from Kurapika and Leorio, the taller asking if Gon was still trying to find an answer. Gon looks over to them innocently, nodding in response. He looks back to Tomoe, almost expecting her to answer his question.

Instead of just saying no, she tells him, "The quiz is over, Gon."

"I know." He blinks at her. "But what if I run into a situation like that, and I can only save one person? What should I do then?"

It's her turn to stare at him, a trend that seems to be exclusive to just the two of them. One expects answers, the other ends up learning something new. Tomoe feels like she'll never have a dull day if Gon sticks around.

"It wouldn't be right to save just one person," Gon continues. "And one day I may have to make that choice."

Laughter no longer comes from Leorio and Kurapika. Instead, they stare at him the same way Tomoe does: In awe and resignation, forced to admit that the possibility may happen and that one day they will have to make such a choice. They'd all been so focused on getting the right answer, none of them had considered the question the way Gon had.

She pulls her violin case from his hands and stands up. Gon watches her, eyes wide, as she holds a hand out to him. He takes it, pulls himself up to his feet, and passes over her knapsack.

What a truly amazing boy, Tomoe thinks. If he doesn't become a Hunter this year, she at least hopes that he'll try again next year. A person like him would do wonders for the world of Hunters.


	6. 06

**iT'S BEEN SO LOOOOOONG SINCE I'VE WRITTEN A BIG FIGHT SCENE AAAAAAA**

 **I hope this came out okay! I spent _a lot_ of time debating over how it would go and where it would lead, since I don't wanna overshadow the others' achievements in this section, but I also don't want Tomoe left out of the loop. Hope it all went well, anyway!**

 **ALSO!**

 **If you want to see updates or ask any questions about upcoming fics or even Memento Mori, go to** miks-archive **on tumblr! I'll be posting progress reports and quick sketches every so often, and the occasional snippet for when I run behind in updates!**

* * *

Leorio clears his throat almost nervously as they venture into the tunnel. The door slides shut behind them, leaving them to wander in almost complete darkness.

"I'm sorry I went overboard back there," Leorio confesses. "Thanks for stopping me."

Tomoe just grunts in annoyance, while Kurapika at least accepts Leorio's apology. As much as she appreciates the apology, Tomoe still feels testy that Leorio had even tried to attack the old woman in the first place. Really, throwing a violent tantrum because he didn't get what he wanted? It's immature and dangerous.

And exactly what Tomoe would've done, had she the energy.

She hates to admit it, but today may just be exhausting her more than she'd expected. The dizzy spell on the ship, the world spinning after she'd shoved herself at Leorio. Even now, as she walks in the darkness, she can feel her balance failing her a little. It's the drunken walk of a person who hasn't slept in days—but Tomoe knows she's slept plenty before getting off the Kaijinmaru.

Tomoe can't tell if the exhaustion is a consequence of being imprisoned in her room for the past five years, or if it's the family genes starting to take their toll. Either way, it's not going to be very helpful once the exam actually does start.

Instead of acknowledging Leorio's hot-headed actions further, Tomoe changes the subject to the tunnel in the hopes of sparking conversation. "So how long did they say it would take to reach the other side?" Her voice comes out in a mumble as she adds, "The light ahead looks pretty far away."

"About two hours," Kurapika's voice rings out. It's further than she'd hoped it'd be, leading Tomoe to panic that she'd fallen behind in her footsteps. "We're to meet with the Navigators on the other side."

Tomoe's hand darts out in a panic, hoping to at least grab hold of one of the boys ahead of her. Her heart hammers in her chest, fear in the back of her mind as she tries to see the outlines of their shapes. The cave is too dark, barely enough light to be certain someone is beside her. The handy sensing of presence isn't there to help her now—not when she knows that she entered with them.

Her hand grasps something soft yet heavy, a material she doesn't recognise straight away. Whoever it belongs to, they move faster than she does and almost tug her along as her grip tightens on the material. They stumble back, nearly crashing into her. As far as she can tell, she hasn't grabbed on to Gon. She'd have felt the hard contact of a skull against her nose, if she had, and her hair would definitely be tangled in his fishing rod by now. It's not Leorio, either—after crashing into him earlier, his bony yet defined frame is easy enough to recognise by bumping into him alone.

That just leaves silent Kurapika, who takes only one step away from her as he reaches for his tabard. "Is something wrong?" he asks. He doesn't make the obvious assumption anyone else would—that Tomoe could be afraid of the dark—and instead treats the situation like she was getting another hunch. At least he's got a bit of faith in her to know when something is wrong.

She feels like she's choking on her words as she tries to reply. They stand in silence, listening only to Gon and Leorio walk further along at a slower pace. No matter how much time passes, Tomoe's eyes don't adjust to the darkness. There's hardly enough light to even tell if Kurapika is looking in her direction or not.

"It's—" Tomoe clears her throat. "I thought I was walking too slow."

Kurapika lets the words settle before giving his reply. It's calm and almost soothing. She's almost glad it was him she'd grabbed on to. "Do you want to keep holding my tabard so you don't fall behind?"

"That would be helpful."

He hums thoughtfully and gives her a few seconds to adjust her grip on the tabard. When Tomoe clears her throat again, this time as a wordless signal to start walking, Kurapika continues at a rather leisurely pace. Gon and Leorio are still a good distance away, but walking at the same speed as Tomoe and Kurapika. If they're as far as she thinks they are, Kurapika and Tomoe will emerge from the tunnel within the moment the dark-haired duo do.

It's an overstatement to say that Tomoe is afraid of the dark. Even as she's being led through the tunnel with Kurapika in front of her, it's hard to shake that uneasiness that comes with being surrounded by complete darkness. Hibiki has always believed that darkness can be your greatest ally during a chase, that it gives you more room to move. Tomoe's always believed the opposite. Unlike the rest of her siblings, she never sat through all those sessions that got her used to the dark; there were exactly three of them before Hibiki suspended her training, and nothing positive had come from stopping midway. While it's an overstatement to say that she's scared of the dark, it's not an understatement to say that darkness brings out feelings of claustrophobia in Tomoe. Unless your eyesight is top-notch, you can't see what hides within the dark. Walls could be closing in on her, threatening to squish her, but Tomoe wouldn't know while she was stuck in a world of black.

Even with the barest amount of light coming from the other side, it still isn't enough to make her feel confident that something bad won't happen at the last minute.

Tomoe's lip trembles as she clamps her eyes shut. It doesn't make much of a difference considering it's just as dark with her eyes open, but it helps comfort her in an odd way. She won't see what happens, won't feel like she could be afraid in an emergency.

"Two hours, right?" she breathes out shakily. Kurapika doesn't reply, but she can feel him shift and move around as he keeps walking. The tabard is yanked, falls from Tomoe's grasp, and for a second she panics. The panic is soon replaced with confusion, the sensation of warm skin around her fingers almost too unfamiliar to her.

Tomoe frowns, but can't bring herself to pull her hand away as Kurapika slows down until he's beside her. "I'm not a child who needs her hand held," she huffs.

Kurapika chuckles—it's that same chuckle he'd let out when Gon had complimented her name. Amused, hardly mocking at all. "I know," he agrees. "It would be easier to make sure you don't fall behind if I hold your hand, though."

Tomoe snorts.

"The tabard would only slip out of your hand if I moved too fast," he goes on to explain. His tone is patient and calm, almost like he isn't bothered that he has to clarify this to her. "If I hold on to you, I'll know if I need to slow down without forcing you to say anything."

She tries to argue with him, but she can't. He's got her in a corner with his reasoning, almost reading her like a book despite having never heard her once mention how proud she tends to be. It's embarrassing, but still somehow reassuring. Maybe he'd really been paying attention to her on the boat after all, she thinks.

Tomoe tightens her grip on his hand. If he wants to make sure she can keep up, she'll at least help with that.

Barely a few minutes of silence passes between them before Kurapika speaks up again. It's difficult to figure out just how far behind Leorio and Gon they've fallen, but Tomoe knows they're far enough away that they'd need to shout in order to get their attention properly.

Kurapika says her name once before he pauses, almost like he's hesitant to ask his question. His hesitation is enough for Tomoe to guess where it'll go, and she's not too keen on the topic being brought up.

"Back on the Kaijinmaru," he says, "when you said you were sick to Leorio. Did you really mean it?"

She swallows the lump in her throat, trying to keep her voice neutral. "Why do you ask?"

 _Shit, wait, wrong answer_.

"You just looked a little dazed back there. Like you couldn't focus on anything after you ran in front of Leorio. I was worried it might be a headache or a cold, and..." He clears his throat. "You _are_ rather pale."

Tomoe sighs softly. So she hadn't imagined the way the world had been spinning; with Kurapika right in front of her at the time, he would've been the only person who would see her dazed state and her exhaustion. Even Gon, who's seen a picture of Tomoe when she was healthier, hasn't questioned it yet.

Kurapika's perceptive, she'll give him that much. Perceptive and observant.

She squeezes his hand reassuringly. "I was telling the truth," she says, "but it'll pass soon. Nothing to worry about compared to the Hunter Exam."

She can think of at least five other people who would disagree—and all their surnames begin with 'F'.

* * *

"Tomoe," he says softly. "We're out of the tunnel."

She snaps her eyes open and snatches her hand away. Two hours had felt like forever in that damn tunnel, the light in the sky appearing to have faded over time. Tomoe frowns at the stars and the light of the moon, and then over at Kurapika—who is already catching up to Gon and Leorio.

That was embarrassing, she decides. Having someone who's known her for little over a few days holding her hand because she got nervous in the tunnel? _Kayo_ would fare better than Tomoe had just now. Kurapika asking her about just _how_ sick she is also feels like something she should be concerned over, but part of Tomoe likes to believe that he'll leave it alone now that she's said it'll pass.

Gon moves over to Tomoe with wide eyes as she fishes through her bag for her sweater vest. It's gotten colder now that the sun's gone down, and Tomoe's shirt is still just barely damp enough to incite a chill with every movement. He leans back and forth on his feet, eyes glued to her bag as he waits for her to finish. Tomoe starts walking along with the others, leading Gon with her, when she finally asks him what's wrong.

"What's the time?" Gon asks bluntly. Tomoe squints at him, well aware that there are no watches on either of her wrists—and then her eyes are as wide as his once she remembers Masao's watch.

"Don't think that was two hours?" she asks him as she reaches into the bag. It's easy enough to find the cold thing, Tomoe almost yelping when her skin comes in contact with it.

Gon shrugs at her. It's not a no, but it's also not a yes. Maybe he's just curious?

Kurapika helpfully says to them, "Sundown was around eight. If the old lady was correct, it should be a little after ten."

"Roger." Tomoe salutes to him lazily as she finally pulls the watch free of the bag. It's as big as ever, as heavy as ever, and as fancy as ever. She still can't figure out why Masao would go to the trouble of giving an heirloom to her in order to make her take a family photo. It would've been easier just to sneak it into the bag or letter, since he'd suspected she'd read it.

The lid of the watch snaps open, and immediately her gaze shoots to the shorter hand pointing up at the two. Tomoe snorts softly at it, not even bothering to do the math of how many hours _that_ would be, as her eyes then move to the longer hand. It rests just a few spaces away from the ten, giving her a time of two-fifty-three.

"That can't be right," she mutters dryly. "Were we in there longer than two hours?"

Leorio slows his walk—leaving Kurapika to lead the group as he joins Gon and Tomoe—and snaps open the locks of his briefcase. "Hold on, I think I have a watch in here," he says. "Check to see if yours is ticking or if the second hand is slow."

He has a point with what he wants her to check. The watch is pretty old, and despite always holding on to it, Masao has rarely ever checked the time with it. It could be wearing down and need a replacement battery, or for someone to take it apart and wind it up properly. She watches the hands of the clock carefully, watches the still second hand, before Tomoe finally shuts it and holds the bottom side to her ear.

It's silent.

"Aha!" Leorio holds up a wristwatch confidently. "Ten-twenty exactly!"

"So my watch is dead, then," Tomoe groans.

"It's still really shiny, though!" Gon reminds her. It's not an argument to say it _shouldn't_ be dead. It's a reminder that it's still pretty.

She shoves it into her bag and sighs at the boy. "I'll keep that in mind the next time I need a mirror."

They reunite as a group walking through the woods, no one leading and no one trailing behind. Kurapika tells Tomoe that he's read books on watch making, and would be glad to see if Masao's is broken after the Exam is over if Tomoe is comfortable with that. She hums in agreement, partly uncertain that the four of them will still be together for that long. If not because they'd fail at different turns, then because Tomoe would just be too exhausted to do better than her brother and sister.

Walking through these woods feels almost like home, she thinks to herself. Less red and orange leaves, more lush green in the grass and trees. Still familiar enough as they follow the soft dirt path to their destination. If they were running, or even if something was carrying them, it would feel almost like the times she and Ayaka would race their horses along the path surrounding their home. A light gust of wind comes from ahead of them, and Tomoe holds back the shiver of excitement that makes her fingers twitch. She'll probably end up with a cold thanks to her still-damp shirt, but the gentle reminder of those races is more than welcome in her eyes.

The path begins to curve—a sign that they're getting closer to the Navigators' location. Tomoe can't help but begin to skip with each step she takes, almost tripping over her own feet with each attempt. Gon mimics her to a more successful degree, and the two grin at each other as they start to gain distance from the two males behind them. The paths slopes upwards, dips downwards, and swerves sharply to their other side. As Tomoe and Gon begin to slow down and wait for Leorio and Kurapika, they observe scenery around them.

Absently, Tomoe says, "Were there a lot of trees where you lived?"

Gon nods with a hum. "Lots of animals, too! It feels like I'm walking through the forest right now."

"What kind of animals?" Tomoe's eyes grow impossibly wider at the idea of Whale Island being filled with animals. Of course there'd be more than fish on the island, she reminds herself, but she never did expect there to be more than just fish once she'd arrived in the first place. The image of Gon running rampant in the forest and befriending all the animals makes her a little giddy to go back there soon.

He holds up a hand and begins to list them off to himself, a deep look of concentration on his face as he thinks carefully about his answers. "A few dogs and cats, a lot of birds," he says. "Foxbears, too! There was one seeing me off at the harbour—his name's Kon! And then there's the Master of the Swamp—"

"Hey!"

Tomoe jumps at the interruption. Gon's fingers all stretch out, leaving him to start over again from his animal count. Just a short distance away from them, approaching the sharp turn, are Leorio and Kurapika. Leorio looks to be trailing behind somewhat, while Kurapika watches the road ahead with an exasperated expression.

Instead of asking what's wrong, Tomoe frowns at the male and cups her hands around her mouth. "Move your butts!" she demands.

Kurapika doesn't bother with a reply, joining Gon's side within an instant. The two continue to walk as Tomoe follows, walking backwards in an attempt to make sure Leorio doesn't fall behind. As much as the two don't get along, it'd be cruel to just leave him behind.

"Didn't you see all those magical beast signs?" Leorio snaps. He's jogging to catch up with them, swinging his briefcase wildly about. Whatever's inside is probably going to be broken, Tomoe thinks with narrowed eyes. "You passed all these warnings and still kept running!"

He's caught up to them just as an opening in the trees presents itself, right at the end of the turn. Tomoe pokes her tongue out at the tall man in defiance. "We were skipping."

Leorio mimics her crudely. Tomoe scoffs at him, offended.

She should've just left him behind, the immature man.

Gon announces that he can see a cabin through the break in the path. It's a race between Leorio and Tomoe to see which can catch sight of it first; a race that Tomoe unfortunately loses as she trips over and crashes into Leorio's back. The tall man is able to see the place easily, ignoring Tomoe's struggles as he declares the four of them ready to see the Navigators.

The cabin looks less like a cabin and more like a holiday house made of logs. Its size reminds Tomoe of those fancy homes she'd see in magazines and newspaper ads, but the simplicity of it reminds her of those small getaway areas people seem to be really interested in these days. While it's still a bit of a walk from the opening to the cabin/house, it's easy enough to see from their distance that no one looks to be home. Lights are off, and all they can hear is the wind and the trees.

Tomoe tries to keep in mind that they could just be sleeping, and that they'll offer the wayward group beds to rest before sending them to the Exam site. She tries to keep on telling herself this as they ascend the long stairs at the porch, as she watches Leorio knock on the door three times and calls out for someone. There's no answer as she peeks over Kurapika's shoulder, standing on the tips of her toes in annoyance. Leorio tests the doorknob and finds it unlocked, and Tomoe is forced to watch behind the blond as the door slides open almost ominously.

It doesn't take long to recognise the danger within the house. While Leorio, front and centre of their group, has a delayed reaction, Tomoe is quick to recognise the smell in the room and just _why_ no one had come to answer the door. Even from behind Kurapika, gazing into the dimly lit room, she can see the hulking mass that stands above the human-sized pile on the floor. The metallic scent of blood hits her nose—it must have been festering for however long the human on the floor had been harmed, doors and windows sealed shut to prevent escape.

Glass is everywhere—all over the floor, embedded in the human's skin, gliding off of the mass as it turns to face them. Tomoe's eyes just barely adjust thanks to the moonlight, but it doesn't do much to quell her slowly rising concern. The mass is at least a good few inches taller than Leorio, perhaps even a foot taller, and its long arms look to be holding something. She leans closer, an arm on Kurapika's shoulder as Gon pulls his fishing rod out from the straps of his bag. There's just the barest hints of fur on the mass; as Tomoe reaches for the pocket knife in her own bag, she wonders vaguely if this is one of the magical beasts Leorio had pointed out the warnings for.

A grating sound—almost like a cackle—and then everyone else is arming themselves and preparing for a fight. The beast turns, giving the group a clear view of its front; Tomoe has to hold herself back from cursing as soon as she spots the woman in its arms. As she puts herself between Kurapika and Gon, she hears the blond announce, "It's a Kiriko—they can take human form."

"Did you read about that on the way here?" Tomoe blurts out. She isn't even graced with a dry look like she'd normally get from someone like Kurapika. The focus instead moves to the woman in the beast's—the Kiriko's arms. Their attention is divided, Leorio's on the man on the floor, while Gon's remains on the woman. Tomoe feels almost conflicted on which she should be focusing on as well, almost unwilling to make a mistake regarding a creature she's never seen, let alone _heard of_ before.

She isn't left to flit between options for very long. The Kiriko, with one final cackle-like sound, springs upwards with its long hind legs and crashes through the window closest to the ceiling.

They all jump into the fray at once. Gon and Kurapika rush for the highest point of the house, watching through the now shattered window for the Kiriko. Leorio kneels beside the man on the floor—still conscious, concerned only for his wife—and snaps open his briefcase as Tomoe skids to a halt behind him. The various medical supplies inside come as a surprise to her; she'd honestly expected it to be filled with adult magazines and ties. As Kurapika yells out that he'll leave the injured man to Leorio, Tomoe is left to watch from beside the bespectacled man as Kurapika and Gon leap from the window.

Her choice was made for her. Her fingers twitch as she tries to hold back her annoyance.

"I need some light to work with," Leorio says suddenly. Tomoe looks to him in shock—he's talking to her, not himself—as he rolls the man onto his side. "Find a candle or a torch."

She doesn't even answer him. Tomoe just springs into action, letting her feet lead her to the most logical area that would hold candles. The drawer in the bathroom is hard to pull open, what with half of the room being trashed from the struggle, but it proves to be a fruitful effort once she spots the thick, green candle inside. Tomoe grabs for one of the towels and quickly splashes it with water from the tap, and then runs back to the front room.

It's odd, watching something like this. She'd never been subject to the bigger aspects of treatments (surgery, blood tests, and the like), but watching Leorio clean and dress this man's wounds feels almost weird to witness. Medicine is not something people in the main family pursue—Great Grandpa Kouta saw to that—but even something as small as this feels almost too complicated for Tomoe to follow. There's liquids and small cloths that are dabbed at the wound, bandages upon bandages that are cut to lengths with careful hands.

Even if Tomoe wanted to pursue something like this, she wouldn't have the patience. Yukari and the rest of her uncles and aunts truly are amazing.

"How bad is it?" she asks. It's mostly out of courtesy, though part of her wants to see how good a healer Leorio is.

He wipes at his brow with the sleeve of his suit. "It's not deep, thankfully," he reports. The man breathes a sigh of relief, apparently curious about the state of his injuries as well. "With luck, nothing should be damaged in the long term—"

A loud thump sounds out from above. All three of them freeze, crouched down to the floor as they look to each other with wide eyes. Leorio's hands are just hovering above the man's shoulder, bandage just waiting to be wrapped around the limb.

Just barely in an audible whisper, Leorio begs, "Don't let that be what I think it is."

Tomoe inhales deeply and steels herself. If their luck isn't on their side, it most definitely _is_ what they don't want it to be: Another threat.

The thump turns into softer scratches—like clawed footsteps along the roof. It moves from one end of the house to the other, until it finally stops near the doors at the front of the house.

The man whimpers, "The doors."

 _They're still open_. Their luck probably isn't on their side, she thinks.

Tomoe slides her bag off of her shoulder and sprints over to the destroyed fireplace, to the messy rack of pokers and shovels. She grabs the sturdiest poker of the lot, aiming its hook outwards, and then rushes for the front doors.

Her original plan had been to swing the poker in the hopes of gouging out its eye, to blind it temporarily. She's soon forced to improvise when that furry mass lands loudly on the porch, legs spread just barely wide enough for her to slide under. A silent prayer against herself—against her sickness—is all Tomoe allows herself as she glides along the floor and flies out onto the porch between the Kiriko's legs. The hook of the poker catches on one of its legs, and before it can even notice the poker at its feet she tugs hard on the handle. The strength of her pull makes her fall down the porch steps once the Kiriko flops gracelessly onto the ground with a squawk. The poker flies from her hands, lands just a short distance away in the grass, as Tomoe and the Kiriko crash to the ground together.

"Tomoe!" Leorio calls out.

"Not dead!" she calls in response.

" _Not the point_!" is his exasperated cry.

The "point" seems to be that Tomoe's just left the doors wide open for the Kiriko. She scrambles to her feet, eyes flitting between the poker in the grass and the Kiriko on the porch. She won't have enough time to run for the poker _and_ strike the Kiriko before it gets inside, and it seems even Leorio knows this as he hurriedly wraps the bandages around the man's arm.

The Kiriko rises to its feet and lets out a sound similar to a groan. A clawed hand rubs at its head and snout, and Tomoe swears she hears a guttural growl of, "Geez." It looks over its shoulder at her—somewhat disinterested as its narrow eyes look her up and down—and then turns its gaze back to the man and Leorio. Tomoe chokes on her own breath once she realises how little time she has to act, how focused the Kiriko is on finishing the job and killing the husband.

She yanks at her ponytail, harshly pulling her ribbon free from its bow, and lets out a loud shriek. It's not meant to be a battle cry of any kind (that would just be pointless), but instead an attempt to make the Kiriko focus on Tomoe. If it looks away from Leorio and the man for long enough, Leorio can hide the two of them somewhere in the house. Such a plan would make Tomoe the prime target, though, and she's certain that the man won't approve of the idea. Not that he'll have much time to argue once she jumps into action.

Literally.

While the Kiriko's back is turned to her, Tomoe jumps as high as she can and raises her arms above its head. She lands on its back with a grunt, air rushing from her lungs at the impact, as her hands snake the ribbon around its throat. The Kiriko's midsection is thin enough for her to wrap her legs around it, to hook her ankles together and stay right where she is. Tomoe tugs on the ribbon harshly, ready for all hell to break loose once the Kiriko realises what she's doing.

True to her hopes, Leorio helps the man to his feet and escorts him through the house. His shoulder is practically bandaged up and ready for rest, Leorio's job as healer done for the night. She watches with glee as he grabs his suitcase and takes cover—and then that glee is replaced with a feeling so close to agony, she swears that her time has come early. The Kiriko has whirled around and thrown itself—and Tomoe—into a nearby wall. It's an attempt to shake her off; an attempt that she swears makes her spine pop painfully.

She won't let go, though. Tomoe's too proud to let a simple crack of the back be her breaking point.

Once again that guttural tone reaches her ears, and it's much closer than last time. "Troublesome kid!" it howls. The Kiriko shakes itself harder. Tomoe can feel the panic rising in her chest as her feet slip apart, her grip now loose and depending solely on her ribbon. "Get _off_!"

As she's swung around mercilessly, the Kiriko's claws scratch at her ribbon and arms. She can feel the skin break as her sleeves tear, the heat of raw skin and blood. She grits her teeth as pain sears through her arms, as the sudden jerk reaction forces her to let go of one end of the ribbon. She flies to the other side of the room, crashing into the broken cabinet. The Kiriko is busily looking around for her, still waving its arms about as though she'll appear out of nowhere and jump on it again.

She's spooked it. Hope flutters in Tomoe's chest. Maybe she can scare it off, keep it from the husband without destroying this house.

The wounds on her arms aren't deep, just barely enough blood on her skin to be soaked up by her sleeves. She ignores the smell of the stuff as she raises a hand to her mouth, as she pokes two fingers at either side of her lips and whistles as loudly as she can. The Kiriko jumps—and then its glowing red eyes are on her in an instant.

Instead of attacking her, though, it rubs its ears in annoyance. "Little brat," it growls. It's that same guttural growl she's heard near it; Tomoe's face scrunches up once it finally clicks that the _Kiriko_ is the one talking and yelling at her.

"Rude Kiriko!" she snaps back at it. It scoffs at her, almost offended that she'd dared yell something back instead of charge it. Tomoe's more than happy to do the latter, but not without getting the last word in. How else will people know she has snark master-levels of wit in the heat of battle?

She crouches down and gets ready to sprint over to it, arm reaching out carefully for a shard of glass by her feet. The Kiriko watches her with caution in its eyes, crouching down as well—in an attempt to meet her head-on? She hopes so. As Tomoe's fingers curl around the shard, feel the edges dig into her skin painfully, the air shifts.

The Kiriko is gone. A gust of wind hits Tomoe in the face, the sound of heavy feet hitting the ground outside the window behind her. She whirls around in shock, dropping the glass as she scrambles to her full height and shuffles over to the window.

Sure enough, she catches sight of the Kiriko's behind as it dives into the bushes.

" _Son of a_ —"

The bathroom door crashes open. Tomoe jumps in surprise, almost slipping on the glass on the floor. Leorio storms out from the room, bandages in his hands as his face turns beet red at her current state. He's angry, she tells herself; but it's for a pretty dumb reason, honestly.

"Dumbass!" he snaps. Tomoe doesn't even stop him as he snatches one of her arms and tears at the tattered sleeves, exposing the bleeding flesh. It really isn't as bad as she'd thought it'd been. Had the Kiriko been holding back, or were its claws just dull? "You could've gotten yourself killed!"

He furiously wraps the bandage around her forearm, sealing it tightly with a knot, before moving on to her other arm. Tomoe raises a brow at him. "Did you miss the conversation where I said I come from a family of meat shields?" she says dryly.

"Not the point!" he growls. Leorio secures the bandage tightly, putting enough force into tying the knot that Tomoe has to bite back a yelp. "Gon and Kurapika said they'd handle it, and you just threw away your bag when it came here—you were unarmed—"

Tomoe snatches her arm away and dashes over to her bag. It's right where she'd left it, though her knife is difficult to find as she rummages through her minimal belongings. Had it fallen out somewhere? Got caught under a piece of furniture? Tomoe scowls as she unlocks her violin case and gently rests the violin on the floor. She'll have to make do with the case.

"Yell at me later, old man," she demands. Tomoe runs for the window the Kiriko had leapt from, hardly giving Leorio a second thought in his arguments. "Keep an eye on the husband for a sec—I forgot something!"

Leorio screeches after her. He doesn't pursue, and his arguments die down fairly quickly as she bursts through the bushes and into the woods.

She practically strains her ears to listen for the Kiriko. It moved so fast, she's almost afraid that she'll lose it before something bad happens. As much as Tomoe hates to admit it, she'd forgotten about Gon and Kurapika—about the fact that they'd given chase to the Kiriko mere moments earlier. Now that she's remembered them, countless possibilities run through her head: That they never found the Kiriko after giving chase; that the Kiriko had wounded them in their attempt to stop it and free the woman; that there's more than one Kiriko, more than just a single target.

The size of the trees makes the woods just that little bit darker—which will hopefully make it easier for Tomoe to hear the Kiriko, if it hasn't gotten too far away. She inhales sharply as she picks up speed, doing her best not to get too desperate. She can't let herself worry that Gon and Kurapika may have been hurt, that the Kiriko may have torn them apart; if she starts to panic and push herself too hard, she'll wind up doing more harm than good.

But still. She really should've come better prepared. Maybe even stolen Leorio's own knife—but then what would that leave him? He's still in very real danger of having the Kiriko return again, and for all his frustration and rage, the man's limbs are long enough that he'd probably be even more uncoordinated than Tomoe in a rough fight. And that would just make Tomoe worry even more.

Her arms are really hurting now. It's not the pain of a shallow cut anymore, but the sting of a paper cut mixed with too much effort put into holding up the case. It's not exactly light when the violin is in it, but Tomoe at least hopes that the empty case won't become a burden to her once she finds the Kiriko. She'd left her ribbon at the house in her rush to get out (which would've been handy to keep her hair back, now that she thinks about it), and it's not like using the bloody bandages will do wonders for her hair.

Tomoe trips over a stump and curses under her breath. She really is terrible in low light situations. She wishes Hibiki had at least continued that part of her training—the total darkness, the concentration—for just a little longer. At least then she'd be able to see where she's going, to spot the Kiriko even from a distance! Stupid, dumb, shitty Folkvar Disease—

Voices. Not quite clear, but close enough to hear and recognise who is speaking. She can hear Kurapika—relief floods her chest before she can stop herself—and half-expects to hear Gon's with him. To her surprise, though, the boy's voice is absent. It's a girl's voice she hears, out of breath and concerned as she asks Kurapika questions. This can't be the wife, Tomoe thinks; it sounds too young to be the wife.

She jogs over as silently as possible, tightening her grip on the case's handle. Kurapika had said that Kiriko are capable of making themselves look like humans, which means there's every possibility that he could have encountered one that's trying to trick him by disguising itself as a young girl. Maybe even a local. This'll be troublesome, Tomoe thinks. If it is a Kiriko and Kurapika hasn't figured it out, it'll be _super_ difficult to explain whacking it with a violin case out of nowhere.

They're close enough for her to make out what they're saying, the soft yet urgent tone in Kurapika's voice as he asks, "Is Leorio okay? The husband?"

She almost freezes in place when she hears her own voice reply breathlessly, "They're fine—Leorio's back at the house with the husband. Where's Gon? I'll lend him a hand."

Anger replaces the relief Tomoe feels. How _dare_ this thing try to get Gon's location from Kurapika! Using her voice, her appearance— _hunting down the boy while wearing the skin of a friend!_ She'll definitely make sure to repay the Kiriko for its scratches tenfold, that's for sure.

Kurapika is slow with his reply, and she can just barely hear the contact his bokken make as they bump against each other. She's close enough that she can see them through the bushes, see the wife hiding behind Kurapika as he looks up at the fake. The Kiriko did a good job of copying her appearance from earlier—no tattered sleeves or blood on her, and the ribbon is expertly tied under the collar of her shirt in a neat little bow—but something feels off about it. The smile is too bright, too friendly; as much as Kurapika is bothered by Tomoe, she's never used such an open expression. She's always grinning or scheming, too playful to stop and smile sincerely at anyone but Gon.

There's the fatal flaw, she thinks. If she's noticed it, then she's more than certain that Kurapika has just now. His expression is neutral, hardly the concerned gaze that met the fake's eyes just a second ago. Without a second of hesitation, Kurapika hits the Kiriko right in the face with one of his bokken. It collides with the Kiriko's nose, the creature doubling over in surprise as it covers its nose with its hands.

"W—What was that for!?" it shrieks, still keeping up her disguise. Tomoe can just barely see the tears prickling at its eyes, like it's going to start crying because Kurapika hit it.

Kurapika frowns at the Kiriko. He swivels on his heels, still crouched on the ground as he readies his bokken to strike. "Tomoe only ever smiles at Gon that way," he says calmly. Tomoe does her best not to cheer from the bushes. Way to take note of something, Kurapika! "Besides," he adds, "she'd never leave behind a friend in the midst of danger."

The Kiriko barely has any time to react, let alone change shape again, as Tomoe leaps from the bushes with a loud, " _Think again!_ "

She wastes no time tackling it to the ground and making sure she lands on top of it, the Kiriko midway through transforming back to its regular self as she raises her violin case in the hopes of hitting it in the snout. A long arm swipes at her, claws facing away; Tomoe can feel the hard contact of the Kiriko's backhand at her gut, the air once again rushing from her lungs as she thrown off of it. Tomoe goes flying, unable to tell the ground from the sky as she soars past Kurapika and the wife.

As she crashes into a tree with a loud, " _Oof!_ " she can hear the Kiriko cursing about her and screeching about how troublesome she is. Tomoe coughs and clings to the branch she'd landed on for dear life, half-listening as the leaves of the trees rustle with the force of someone breaking through them. By the time Tomoe finally lets go of the branch and allows herself to drop the short distance to the ground, the Kiriko has fled again.

She's wheezing as she looks back and forth from Kurapika and the empty space the Kiriko had once occupied. Tomoe is no longer angry—she'd livid. Twice now, she's had the Kiriko escape her. Sick or not, this is _unacceptable_.

"Tomoe!" Kurapika calls. She barely spares him a glance as she stumbles to her feet, coughing harshly as she clutches her stomach. "Is that blood? Did it hurt you?"

Tomoe ignores him. Stupid caring Kurapika, trying to talk her down with his concern. She worried for _nothing_ and now Gon is in danger from possibly more than one Kiriko. _Unacceptable_.

"Sit down before you hurt yourself!" Hands land on her shoulders—which Tomoe promptly smacks away. She's no longer coughing; instead, her breaths come out in an angry wheeze, her infuriated state more than obvious to the blond boy in front of her now.

" _I am a Folkvar_ ," she snarls lowly. " _I will not be made a fool of_."

Through her angry haze she can just barely make out Kurapika's expression. The resignation on his face, the slightest hint of confliction in his eye. He's made a decision, but he isn't sure he wants to do it. Kurapika reaches for her shoulders again, and his voice is no longer using the urgent tone he'd tried to calm her with.

"This is for your own good," he says softly. Alarm bells flicker in Tomoe's head— _how often did Hibiki say that as she grew up?_ —as she tries to move away from him. Kurapika's hands clamp down on her shoulders forcefully, and not even a second later his knee is painfully slammed into her gut.

Two strikes to her stomach, she counts. The first from the Kiriko, leaving her wobbly and wheezing. The second from Kurapika, leaving her dazed and unable to move as she collapses into his arms. Her anger slowly sinks away, washed by the tides of sleep; all she can think as she feels Kurapika hoist her over his shoulder is, _Is Gon safe?_

* * *

 **Fun fact time! I got bored between writing scenes and thanks to how often I listened to my music library, I wound up memorising most of the songs on there. Thanks to this, I found a pretty good theme for Tomoe (and by extension Masao): "** Welcome Home **" by** Radical Face **. ^^**


	7. 07

**Whaaaaaaaaaat? An update? Took you long enough, Mik -3-**

 **Sorry for the shorter length than usual for this! It's more of a filler chapter more than anything, nothing too extraordinary happening (according to me at least lmao). Hope you enjoy regardless!**

* * *

"Ugh…"

"Oh! She's waking up!"

"Give her some air, Gon."

She can't bring herself to open her eyes. She feels too groggy and her limbs are too heavy. Her stomach hurts and she really doesn't want to get off of the warm surface she's been laid on.

Tomoe coughs weakly.

"I knew it!" Is that Leorio's voice? It must be. No one else screeches so passionately like him. "You hit her too hard!"

"Calm down." That comes from right next to her? In front of her? Wherever Kurapika is, he's closer than she'd expected him to be. The surface she lays on shifts, and it's only now that she realises she's being held up by the backs of her knees. "If it'll put your mind at ease, check her for any major damage once she's up and walking."

She'd _really_ love to do that. If Tomoe could just put her feet on the ground and not feel like total crap, that'd be _great_. But instead she feels too weak, too exhausted to even stay conscious long enough to hear even Leorio's complaints.

The person holding onto her shifts again, adjusting his grip, as Tomoe drifts back into the realm of sleep.

She's in and out of it multiple times. One instant she's in someone's arms, the next she's tucked tightly into the claws of a giant creature, flying over the land as the wind rushes against her face. Another pause of darkness, and suddenly she's being carried through a town on what must be Kurapika's back. She can't see him anywhere, just Gon and Leorio and two men she doesn't recognise.

Tomoe really can't piece together what each of these events means. In her mental timeline she assumes she'd been separated from the trio and taken, but she can't have been unconscious for as long as such an event would suggest. Each time she comes to she's more and more aware of her surroundings, and there's just nothing to link each awakening to the next.

She's semi-conscious when Kurapika enters a building, the flaps hanging just a foot off of the door swatting her in the face. The unknown men order something—gosh, the smell of food is beautiful in here—and it's only a matter of seconds before they enter another room.

He sets her down onto a chair, and immediately Kurapika takes notice of her groggy state. She just glares at him, an unspoken, _This is your fault_ , as he smiles apologetically.

Tomoe rubs at her eyes with a whine, resting her elbows against the table. Only Gon is also seated at the round table, watching her from the seat directly across her's. "What'd I miss?" she slurs.

"The Kirikos were the navigators," Gon blurts out. "A husband, a wife, and their kids."

She blinks slowly. "A wha…?"

"A family," he says. "They were really nice!"

Tomoe inhales deeply. She holds her breath for a few seconds, dragging her hands over her face, before finally she exhales slowly. "Another test," she grumbles.

The chair to her right is pulled out hurriedly. A briefcase slams onto the table, Leorio's disgruntled face all she can see as he shines a light in her eyes. Tomoe scrunches up her face and shoves his own away with one hand, covering her eyes with the other. "What're you doing?"

"Checking to make sure you're okay," Leorio says matter-of-factly. It'd sound almost demanding if half his face wasn't being smothered by her palm. "You were out for a while. I wanna make sure nothing's wrong."

Another glare is sent Kurapika's way, though he doesn't bother acknowledging it this time.

"I'm fine," she grunts. "I'm just exhausted. It's been a while since I've done stuff like that."

Leorio doesn't look like he believes her. To her relief, however, he lowers to small light and tucks it into his pocket. "Fine. But I still need to see those scratches."

For a whole second she can't figure out what he means. It isn't until Gon sits up in his seat and expresses his own curiosity about the bandages on her arms that she remembers the Kiriko's claws raking against her skin. She's reluctant to be fussed over, but if this is really the beginning of the Hunter Exam then she has no choice but to be as prepared as possible. She lowers her hands and sighs. The tattered material of her shirt hides the bandages fairly well, but once they're snipped away neatly it's hard to ignore just how much blood has seeped through the hastily applied wraps.

The Kiriko must've done more damage than she'd thought. Maybe blood loss is part of why she's so tired right now. Hibiki would flip if she saw the reckless display Tomoe had been through to get them.

He disinfects it with a swab, careful to pause every time Tomoe lets out a sharp hiss. Gon just watches in awe, complimenting Leorio and interrogating Tomoe on how she got the wounds. Kurapika watches over her shoulder, seeming almost intrigued as he asks, "I take it Tomoe defended you while you tended to the son?"

Leorio nods, though he doesn't look too happy about it. "Unarmed. Jumped on its back like an idiot and swung around by her ribbon." He pulls a large white bandage out from the briefcase. Just as he's about to apply it to one of her arm's, the room quakes as a whirring sound comes from the walls.

Gon and Kurapika don't look too deterred by it, but Leorio's cursing under his breath as he lines the bandage up with Tomoe's wounds again. He gives it a light pat—she flinches, calls him a name she'd prefer not to repeat in front of Gon again—and moves on to her other arm.

"This is it, then?" she says. "This is where the Hunter Exam starts?"

Kurapika shrugs. "As far as we know. They told us we qualified, after all."

A sharper sting than usual hits her arm. Tomoe actually yanks her arm away, kicking out at Leorio and—unfortunately for Gon—repeating her earlier swear.

"So we're in Zaban City now?"

"We are."

She grins weakly. A few days on a ship violently throwing her around, Leorio losing his temper at an old lady and finally a fight with a family of Kirikos—and not a single sign of her disease getting worse. Masao would be proud.

Kurapika takes his own seat as Leorio finishes up with Tomoe's other arm. The room is fairly small, meant as a private dining experience, and just above the door is a small screen detailing how many floors the group has travelled. All four of them wait patiently as the seconds tick by, the question of how far down the exam could possibly be in the backs of their minds.

It's so unbearingly quiet. Tomoe huffs out a sigh as she glances at each of the boys at the table. They look just as bored as her, but at least they all have something to occupy themselves with—Leorio checking over his supplies, Kurapika skimming through his beast book, and Gon with Tomoe's photo. She almost wishes she'd brought something to read herself, though she doubts Masao would've let her leave with one of his manuscripts without putting up a fight.

So she pulls out her violin, her companion in boredom. It's been a while since she last tuned it properly, and there's a chance that all the action she's seen these past couple of days have left it out of sorts. As Tomoe begins to tighten the hairs on her bow, she catches Gon's bright gaze staring at the instrument with glee.

Tomoe grins at him. This really isn't the time or place for her to play something for him. She turns his attention back to the photo, pointing to it across the table with her bow. "What's so interesting about that picture?" she says. She only asked him to hold onto it, but he's looking at it like there's still some unsolved mystery hidden in the family's faces.

Gon shrugs, still smiling at her violin. "I just like the picture," he says simply.

He takes to things so easily. Tomoe breathes out a short laugh. Kayo would love Gon, especially after hearing how much she likes to show off to others lately.

She doesn't get much time to reply, a loud ding filling the room as the elevator comes to a halt. Tomoe loses her grip on her bow, watching in horror as it drops to the ground. She's quick to pick it back up as the stillness allows her to move. The sign above the door now reads B100. The door slides open. Ahead of them resides the start of the Hunter Exam.

The dark tunnel is a little off putting to Tomoe, the faint red lights lining the walls barely helping to ease her concern. It's wider than the tunnel they'd walked through yet somehow it feels more suffocating. All the people blocking the path—sitting, standing, leaning against the walls—make her feel like she's going to get lost, like she's going to be left behind once they start to make their ways to the exam.

Tomoe isn't proud of how quickly she lunges for Kurapika's hand. He jumps, surprised, but doesn't protest. Instead, he simply says, "Let's try not to get lost."

Sounds like a good plan to her.

Countless eyes watch them, assessing the group's appearance as they start to walk over. Gon and Leorio don't get a lot of attention, a few surprised remarks made about how young Gon looks to be; but a lot of the snickers and smirks make their way to Tomoe, to her sickly appearance, bandages, and desperate clinging to the blond in front of her.

The shame rushing through her makes her feel sick. She's acting like a scared little girl, barely able to look anyone in the eye as her face turns a bold shade of red. _Pathetic_ , she tells herself as they near the crowd. _Absolutely pathetic_. She's a Folkvar—part of a proud, moderately-known family that trains from birth to protect those around them. Part of a family who practices refined activities and keeps a steady hierarchy. Part of the _main family_ , the _best_ of the family. And she's letting herself be an easy target for everyone around her.

Despite the attention only lasting for a good few seconds, Tomoe feels like she's been gripping Kurapika's hand tightly for hours. Her fingers are numb, her nails probably digging into his skin. If it hurts, he isn't showing it.

Kurapika leads her through the edge of the crowd, following Gon and Leorio silently. She can hear chattering, someone addressing one of the boys ahead; before long, Kurapika's turning around and handing her a round, white badge.

 _406_ , it reads. She blinks down at it questioningly. When she looks up at Kurapika, ready to ask with it's for, she spots his own badge pinned to his tabard. "Oh," she whispers. Tomoe takes it sheepishly, pinning it to her sweater as the red in her cheeks subsides a little.

"Haven't seen you guys around here before!"

Tomoe jumps, heart beating wildly in her chest. All of them look up in the direction of the voice, wondering just who would call out to them so gleefully in an atmosphere like this. It takes Tomoe a while to spot him, but there's no mistaking that the man in blue perched atop a pipe is the one who called out to them. He's fat and has a big grin on his face, bag slung over his shoulder and a badge on his chest declaring, _16_.

He glides down to the ground with ease. Tomoe watches him with wide eyes. He makes landing from such a height look easy, his stride barely hesitant as he approaches the group.

"This is my thirty-fifth attempt," he laughs, "and this is the first time I've seen you four."

Gon and Leorio gawk at him, screaming back, "Thirty-five times!?"

Tomoe can't help the disgruntled expression that makes its way to her face. When Masao had told her about his exam, he'd said that a lot of people had come back multiple times to try and make it to the end. But thirty-five is a bit too much, in her opinion. After thirty, wouldn't one assume that becoming a Hunter would be a lost cause?

The man offers his help regardless of the group's reactions, bragging about knowing the ropes and being able to give advice. He introduces himself as Tonpa, and almost immediately Tomoe dubs him Tonpa the Tryhard. She may have hopes of Gon succeeding in years to come if he doesn't pass this year, but she knows he won't beat his losses with a blunt stick like Tonpa seems to be.

 _Thirty-five_. That's even more pathetic than her fear of the dark. What in the world could Tonpa offer that rookies like themselves can't already figure out?

Tonpa wastes no time telling Gon about other examinees from previous years. She tunes out somewhat, uninterested in the man, and instead picks at the frayed edges of her sleeves. No one tries to bring her attention back to the conversation. It gives her time to look around, to get used to the dim lighting in the tunnel.

No one seems to be looking at her anymore, interested in their own activities as they wait for the exam to start. People young and old, men and women, bizarre and ordinary. It really is a mixed bag of contestants, no two looking alike. She turns on her heel slowly as her gaze wanders. A bearded old man, a young woman with a large, yellow hat. She wonders if they've been here before, trying again for the umpteenth time like Tonpa.

Tomoe shuffles on her feet with a frown. Everyone here looks too different for her to figure out just what some of the exam might include. Fighting? There's plenty of people with weapons and bulky frames. Running? A lot of people wearing light gear, exercising on the spot. A test of wits? A few have books and devices with them, though what they're reading or studying is up for debate. Then there's the ones who look odd, unreadable—like the trio with matching facial tattoos, or the plain-looking girl holding her bag close to her chest.

And then there's the one that keeps boring their gaze into Tomoe. The girl's on her own, leaning against a far wall with a bored expression—at least, until she and Tomoe initially locked gazes. Now she has an almost bemused expression, smiling around her small plastic spoon with each gulp of flan she consumes. Tomoe's been hoping that she'd look away at some point, move on to another interest, but the girl just _stares_.

She gives in and returns the girl's stare, making sure to send a snarl with it. Tomoe doesn't like being studied or smirked at, especially now that it's been established to others that she's an easy target. But the girl doesn't look deterred by it. Her brown eyes brighten behind her glasses, one eyelid sliding shut as her smirk grows.

Tomoe nudges Kurapika's foot with her own—he's the closest one to her, and the one who'd make the least fuss over her wanting to confront the girl—and mutters, "Hey—"

A scream rings through the air, cutting her off and startling her to the point of dropping her violin case. Tomoe curses as the screams continue, slowly start to die down; someone's talking, sounding smug as they make some remark about arms becoming flower petals. She can't bring herself to pay attention, fretting too much over the potential damage she may have caused her violin.

"That psychopath is back again," Tonpa mutters.

Tomoe quickly hugs the case to her chest. Gon scuttles over to her side and offers to take it, but he's lugged it around more than enough times during their trip. She instead deigns to acknowledge Tonpa. "Psychopath?"

"Did he take the exam last year?" Kurapika chimes.

Tonpa swallows nervously, a haunted expression on his face. Tomoe searches around for who he's talking about, though his gaze only points to one of the enigmas she'd seen earlier—a man dressed in pale, muted colours and donning the mantle of a jester. "Number forty-four," Tonpa says, "Hisoka. He was a dead ringer to pass last year, up until he killed an examiner he didn't like."

Tomoe drops her violin case again. "And they just _let him_?" she scoffs.

Even Leorio finds it absurd. Then again, he's found a lot of things absurd so far. "They're allowing him to take the exam again after that?" he blubbers. Tonpa nods.

"Naturally. Every year the exam and examiners change, and they decide what each test will be. The Devil himself could earn a Hunter's license if an examiner deemed it so." He shrugs, turning back to the group with a more relaxed expression. "Anyway, no one really likes the guy. We all just stay out of his way—you four should do the same."

Stay out of the way of a clown? Tomoe huffs. Sure. Why not. It's not like the guy with the giant club is any more dangerous. She picks up her case again (and gives in to Gon's offer, leaving it safe in his hands) and glances back over in the direction of the girl. She doesn't feel like she's being watched anymore. Tomoe isn't sure if it bothers her or gives her a sense of relief. True to her expectations, the girl against the wall is gone. All that's left of her is a crumpled plastic flan cup and tiny spoon, resting neatly on the ground.

"Keep an eye on my violin for me," Tomoe mutters to Gon. He nods, turning on his heel to face Tonpa again as the portly man starts up yet another topic of conversation.

No time is wasted getting to the flan cup. No one touches it, undeterred by the littering of one examinee. Tomoe hums softly to herself as she wades through the other examinees; there must have been something the girl had seen from Tomoe, though she can't quite tell if the flan cup is an invitation to be curious. _Follow my breadcrumbs_ , and all that.

Or maybe the girl is just a horrific litter bug.

She's not sure if it confirms or denies her breadcrumbs theory, but once she crouches down in front of the flan cup she spots a small piece of plastic out of the corner of her eye. Tomoe looks over at it—flat and blue, with the words _Pocket Flan_ written in white—and compares it to the cover dangling from the cup by a sliver. _Pocket Flan_ , exactly the same.

She scrunches up her face. It'd be bad if she got lost in this crowd all because of a theory. But if she's right—that the girl wants her to follow—then it'll bug her endlessly. Especially if the girl doesn't make it as far as Tomoe. (Or vise versa, she grimly reminds herself.)

Screw it. Tomoe stands back up and storms over to the lid. She passes the girl with the large yellow hat, ignores a greeting from a bald man in black. Beyond the lid is a small gap in a crowd—and through it, striking white hair that's hard for even her to miss.

She stops for a second. It actually takes some time for her to figure out that what she's seeing is a _child_. Skateboard tucked under his arm, wide eyes that shine a brilliant blue, and an almost mischievous expression on his face as he talks to the very person Tomoe's been following. The girl has another flan cup in her hands, spoon in her mouth as she dryly replies to the kid's request. He seems to get upset at her, and she promptly ignores him by checking to see if Tomoe had found her yet.

Her eyes light up again, the smile back on her face. The boy takes notice; his expression does the exact opposite when he sees Tomoe, almost like she's done something to spite him. She sneers at the sour look he gives her. Why can't all kids be like Gon and just smile at strangers? Why can't they all just be rays of sunshine who don't act like she stole away someone's attention from them?

The girl digs into her bag and chucks something over her shoulder to the boy. He catches it as she approaches Tomoe, the childish grin back on his face as he tears apart the lid and shoves almost the entire flan into his mouth.

"Was waiting for you," the girl says around her spoon. Tomoe blinks at her. Waiting for her? Why? The girl chuckles at her expression. She shovels another spoonful of flan into her mouth. "You don't recognise me? I should be disappointed."

"I don't get out much," Tomoe mutters.

"So I hear. With the oh so precious second daughter of our family kept under lock and key at all times, I'd built up a pretty flattering assumption of you." She looks her up and down once, then snorts out a laugh. "Turns out you're just as sick as everyone else says you are."

Now that opens a whole new can of worms. This girl must have some knowledge of Tomoe's family; someone from outside the main branch, maybe? The Folkvars are basically an organisation thanks to the sheer number of members—it wouldn't be impossible for her to be related to Tomoe somehow.

But she looks so different from her. Dirty blond hair cut into a straight bob, black eyes and a small mole under her lips. She's tall, too; probably taller than Kurapika. Not even Hibiki looks like this girl.

"How are we related, exactly?"

She waves a hand. "Complicated details and multiple cousins removed," she says quickly. "But you're Tomoe, right? The one that got sick with Kouta's disease?"

Tomoe nods.

"Awesome. I'm Marina." She holds out a hand to shake. "It's nice to finally see you, cousin."

Ignoring the fact that this damn sickness isn't "awesome", Tomoe shakes Marina's hand and offers a half-hearted grin. "Sure," she sighs. "Nice to meet you, too."

"This is a really great opportunity, actually." Marina's grip on Tomoe's hand tightens. It actually starts to hurt after a few seconds, Marina yanking her close enough to whisper. "I don't have to prove being a Hunter is enough for my mother to be the new head. I just have to outlast the corpse."

A chill runs down her spine— _outlast the corpse_ —as the cheerful look in Marina's eye turns almost… sadistic. Predatory. Like she's already won a race and just wants to relish in her prey's struggle.

"W—" Tomoe tries not to sound too unnerved by the change in Marina's demeanour. "What do you mean—"

"Politics in this family is dangerous, cousin. No one's happy that the diseased litter is in charge of us all—we've just needed a reason to replace you." Marina smiles sweetly again. If Tomoe hadn't just witnessed the shift in mood, she'd dare to say it's genuine. "Nothing personal."

With that, Marina shoves her away and finishes off the rest of her flan. She chucks the empty cup and spoon over her shoulder, calling out, "Killua, I know you took one while I wasn't looking!" as she disappears through the crowd.

Tomoe just stares after her. In such a short conversation so much has been thrown at her—a cousin, family politics, _being called the diseased litter_. She's really not sure how to process this, let alone what to do with the information. She could spite Marina and make it further into the exam than her. She could try writing a letter to Hibiki, though would she even read it? What if Hibiki already knows about everyone hating her as the Head? It wouldn't be surprising if she does, now that Tomoe thinks about it—the woman is all business, constantly playing peacekeeper to the rest of the family.

A light voice calls out to her. She whirls on her heel at the sound of it, plastering a grin on her face once she spots Gon making his way through the crowd. There's no point in giving him any worries over something she can handle herself.

Once he reaches her side, she hums at him. "Someone's antsy," she sings.

Gon smiles guiltily. He holds her violin case out to her, that pleading look back in his eyes. "Do we have time for once song now?"

She huffs out a laugh. Even with the excitement of arriving at the exam site and seeing all these contenders for a license, he still wants to listen to music to pass the time.

"Sure." Tomoe takes the case. "I'll even let you pick what I play."

His eyes light up even brighter. Tomoe can't help comparing him to the little boy she'd seen earlier, reminded further of how different they acted at the sight of her. Gon really is just a little ball of sunshine.

Tomoe even decides to bring up the little boy to him, curious to see how he'd react. "I saw someone about your age while I was wandering," she says. Gon stares up at her with a large smile; clearly the idea of someone his age has him excited.

"What were they like? Did you talk to them?"

She shrugs, ruffles his spiked hair. "He wasn't as cool as you."

"You think I'm cool?"

"The coolest kid I know."

He jumps into an ecstatic sprint, cheering the whole way back to Kurapika and Leorio. Tomoe can only watch with a smile; with Gon around, she won't need to worry about Marina. Won't have to worry about Folkvar politics, the stupid disease. All of her worries will just instantly melt away every time he looks up at her, every time he speaks.

She'll deal with the Marina issue later. For now, she's happy to wait for the exam to start.


End file.
